A blackened banana on the discount rack

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.

This gentleman worked for his employer for 32 years, likely starting somewhere near the bottom of the pecking order and ultimately becoming a director – clearly a valued contributor.  And then……..something changed……. and he is currently being “pushed” out of his position.

Apparently his boss had a conversation with him about retirement “planning” and that they were going to release him this summer – about six months from the conversation at a time when his current 3 year contract was to be renegotiated.  It would seem that the “planning” part stopped when that conversation ended.  Not unusual, as many organizations are in desperate need of re-imagining their transition process for wisdom workers.

And then, suddenly and quite unexpectedly the company “reorganized” and his contract was terminated.  Do you suppose this gentleman’s boss might have known about this reorganization earlier?  I would certainly think so.

So now, another individual with years of experience, skills and wisdom will quietly depart taking with him 32 years of institutional knowledge.  What is going on?  Why would any forward-thinking organization allow this to happen.

He told my friend that he felt like a “blackened banana on the discount rack”.  And we all know what happens to produce that finds itself past its best before date don’t we?