I’m obsessed with continuing to write my story.

So many chapters yet to write!

At church a couple of weekends ago, I ran into an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in years.  I asked him what he is up to – he spent several minutes regaling me with stories from his past, shared the successful career he had, the countries he had visited and his many accomplishments.  And he truly was very successful.  And a nice human being.

What do people over 50 bring to employers just like you – those who are willing to challenge the status quo, those bold enough to consider the possibility?

THEY BRING TALENT AND THE KEY SKILLS you may need to take your business to new heights.  Many older adults retired early due to the pandemic, and many would return to work if the world was willing.  And given their experience, they are “job ready” able to step into many roles with limited onboarding and training offering you immediate relief if you are finding yourself short on talent. 

This week has been a time of personal reflection for me.  I guess it’s because we are heading into the “holiday” season when thoughts of special gatherings, being with the people we love begin to shape our thoughts and hopes for the future.

I’m sure you’ve all noticed what is happening to us as humans now that technology has found permanent residency in our lives. 

There’s no denying that we are going through a massive demographic transformation.   More and more individuals want to work longer or have to.  It’s clear that very soon the workforce will include people from as many as five generations.

 Is your company prepared?  The short answer for most is “no”. 

One of the ways that I unclutter my brain is to download my thoughts on “paper”. And I’m confident that there are a few individuals and organizations who will not agree with my thoughts.

I saw a recent study in the US titled the ‘Baby Boomer Retirement Crisis,’ and their research suggested that over the next 5 years, 5.5 million of the most experienced employees will leave the workforce. The same demographic destiny holds true for us.

Society had been conditioned to think that “older” people should operate on the fringes not in the middle. But the dead hand of tradition, the heavy weights of ridiculous regulations, the power of others’ expectations should not define who we choose to be and what adventures we choose to take on regardless of age.

If you’re looking for individuals who have empathy and compassion that have been carefully curated over time. Individuals who understand how to help others in an unselfish manner.

With four to five generations working together for really the first time in our history, organizations are challenged to maximize the incredible power that exists when these forces are aligned.

But it’s not easy as each age group has their own life experiences that shape how they communicate, how they learn, how they access information and how they operate within the confines of team.

Pablo Casals was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. A cellist, conductor, composer, humanitarian, and freedom fighter he said, “to retire is to die”.
When I studied Taekwondo some time ago, I learned that the most powerful way to punch something was to aim one foot past the point of contact

I recently had a conversation with one of my past clients. She was sharing this story of her friend who was recently retired without his position. This gentleman’s story is not unique – in fact it’s beginning to feel more like a trend. An unwelcome and unproductive trend that makes little to no sense when we consider the demographic destiny that is just around the corner.

All generations should be considered in workplace planning. The construct of retirement was really designed for a population that had an abundance of younger folk and far few older ones. Well, we already know that’s not the case today. If nothing is done to create age-diverse work-places, a great deal of talent and experience will exit, many without choosing to do so

Welcome 2024! Each year I encourage my clients to choose a “theme” or word that can act as their northern star for the year. A thought that can act as a filter while we move through the many decisions made day to day.

Every generation lives longer than the one that came before – we are all aware of this. What we don’t seem prepared for though is the decades between the end of work and the end of life. This is prompting many people – either by choice or by necessity – to extend their working lives

Within a single generation the concept of retirement has been changed forever. For some of you, your parents may have held a handful of jobs in their careers. They might have even been employed by a single company for decades before retirement became inevitable.

Once upon a time……
There was a man named Frank. He was 68 and had spent the last 30+ years working for a company he was enormously proud to be a part of. Over the past three or four years, others in the company would make comments in passing; things like “So, Frank, when are you planning on winding down?” or “Frank, you must be getting close to wanting to retire.”

What do jumbo shrimp, seriously funny, awfully good, controlled chaos, act naturally and freezer burn have in common? They, like the term “anti-aging” are oxymorons. Figures of speech that combine contradictory or opposing words or ideas to create unique expressions. A simple way to convey complex idea in a memorable way.

I was recently speaking at an event and had the most fascinating conversation with a gentleman who was considered a “Blocker” by his employer and was asked to retire. And I use the word “asked” very loosely here.

Right now, it’s more important than ever to address the issues and opportunities that surround the culture of retirement planning. We know from the latest science, research, polls and conversations with clients that making the decision to retire is difficult and stressful. In fact, retirement is one of the top 10 most stressful events in a person’s life

It’s time to eliminate mandatory RRIF withdrawals!

We are all familiar with RRSPs (Registered Retirement Savings Plans) and many of us know they must be wound up by the end of the year in which you turn 71. RRSPs are then converted to RRIFs (Registered Retirement Income Funds). Our illustrious government requires us to begin to withdraw a minimum amount each year from our RRIFs and the percentage required to withdraw increases annually.