Generativity and the Deep Caring of Professional Coaching

Generativity Two

This second mode is the one most often identified with the processes of Generativity. It primarily concerns the mentoring of new employees or less experienced employees in an organization and working with young people in one’s local community. What are the best ways in which to support these generative activities as a professional coach?

Expanding Perspectives, Expanding Actions and Generativity Two

Consideration is first given in this essay to the question: What is Generativity and how is it to be distinguished from Stagnation? The authors then turn to their own research findings, relying primarily on the 100 interviews conducted with community leaders in two California communities. They also rely on their own experiences as coaches and consultants to clients who are now mentoring or considering taking on a mentoring role in their organization.

Building the Bridge: Inter-Generational Generativity

This essay begins with an interesting portrait of vivid and vital conversations that can occur between young people and old people. This conversation is to be found in abundance among grandparents and grandchildren, among senior mentors and newly-minted mentees, and among those who reach across age groups to assist others who are in need—regardless of their age (old helping young and young helping old).

Nancy Strojny: Mentoring for the Greater Good

In this interview-based essay, four Generativity initiatives are identified by Ms. Strojny: (1) mentoring of individuals, (2) mentoring and training of SCORE mentors, (3) honoring and celebrating the contributions made by SCORE mentors in the Portland Maine community, and (4) envisioning the sharing of SCORE expertise with other organizations inside and outside the United States — all for the greater good.

Generativity Three

This is the mode of Generativity that is most closely associated with the work of George Vaillant. It concerns the expansion of deep care in time–into the past and future. In what ways should a professional coach assist a client who is seeking to preserve and serve as guardian for traditions, as well as those leaning and leading into the future?

Roles, Voices, Heritage and Generativity Three

This essay concerns the challenging transition that most of us undergo as men and women between 50 and 70 years of age. We start listening to voices from various rooms in our psyche that have remained mute for many years. These voices often lead us to Generativity Three and the wish to honor and guard the past and future.