The person who engages in the third role of generativity by honoring and preserving the heritage associated with a particular person, society or event has raised the value of this person, society or event by seeing in a new way — thus opening new vistas for the growth of generativity in a society. Similarly, as a Generative One parent, Generative Two mentor or Generative Four civic leader, we are pointing to and enhancing value. We are seeing the “big picture” and raising the level of aspiration and hope among those with whom we relate and work. In the upward appreciation of value comes the motivation to care deeply and fight hard for our child, mentee, monument or civic project.
From yet another perspective, the process of appreciation concerns our recognition of the contributions that have been made by another person: “I appreciate the efforts you have made in getting this project off the ground.” Sometimes this sense of appreciation is reflected in the special recognition we give people for a particularly successful project or in the bouquet of flowers or thank you note we leave with an assistant. This form of appreciation, however, when it is the only kind provided, typically leads just to praise inflation, praise addiction and the tendency to keep people who report to us permanently in a needy and, therefore (ironically), one-down position (Kanter, 1977).
Appreciation can instead be exhibited in a more constructive and generative manner through the daily interaction between a Generativity Two mentor and her mentees. It involves mutual respect and active engagement, accompanied by a natural flow of feedback, and an exchange of ideas. More specifically, appreciation is evident in attitudes about the nature and purpose of work. If the person engaged in the second role of generativity “sees work as the means whereby a person creates oneself (that is, one’s identity and personality) and creates community (that is, social relations), then the accountability structure becomes one of nurturing and mentoring.” (Cummings and Anton, 1990, p. 259) A generative society is one in which the acknowledgement of contribution is widely demonstrated and supported — not a society in which bouquets of flowers are to be found everywhere, but rather a society in which knowledgeable and supportive feedback abounds.
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