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A note from the author

Much has happened since our last newsletter!  Let’s see, the holidays have come and gone, a new year is in place, and in January, I got married!  So, I apologize for absence of a January newsletter … life was busy for me!  I have done a better job keeping up a reasonable schedule with my blog postings, so if you are looking for something to read, be sure to follow this link: http://transformingtransitions.com/blog/

Recharging and Rebalancing

I have recently added a small group workshop series entitled Recharging and Rebalancing for the Next Chapter to my service offerings.  Based on the book Too Young To Retire by Howard and Marika Stone, the essence of the series is to help people take a positive look at the process of growing older and discover the multitude of opportunities that exist at this stage in life.  It is intended to empower people to change their perspectives about what has traditionally been thought of as retirement, and to dispel some fears and anxiety along the way.  Working in small groups, participants address key issues such as careers, money, community service, wellness, and travel, using a structured, yet casual “conversation café” format to facilitate group interaction.  The result – participants clarify intentions, set goals, and take action while supporting other group members who may share similar objectives.

One participant who recently completed this series with me said:  “This course has made a great difference in my life and has been important in making some decisions on the next chapter for me.” 

Another from the same class commented, “Thank you (to her employer who sponsored the class) for caring about us as people, and realizing the challenges that are in store when retirement is in the near future.”

If you are interested in finding out how this workshop can be presented at your place of employment, or if you would be interested in attending outside of work, please do not hesitate to contact me at carolyn@transformingtransitions.com.

Generations

How many of you out there currently work in an environment that has more than one generation in the workplace.  My guess would be almost everyone!  And for how many of you does this present a challenge from time to time?  Again, my guess would be almost everyone.  Think about it.  How many times have you thought to yourself – or maybe even said out loud – “why does everyone of that particular age group think that way?  Whatever happened to the good, old-fashioned work ethic?  Doesn’t anyone value (fill in the blank) anymore?  And so on … Why?  Because there are so many different factors that have shaped our lives as we have developed into adulthood.  Economic conditions, the state of global affairs, family structures, work life norms, and technology, just to name a few, have been different for each of the generations.  The result – different perspectives, different values, different work styles, and different approaches to problem solving.  And, possibly a recipe for disaster in terms of work and/or family dynamics.

As many of us would attest, we often find it easiest to relate people who are most like us. So, it makes sense that differences can lead to difficulty.  Our challenge – to find ways to understand, respect, and honor those differences, and ultimately find solutions where all have the opportunity to be engaged and productive.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Okay, well maybe not.  So my suggestion is this:

Start by increasing your understanding of the different generations (for a quick lesson, read my most recent blog at: http://transformingtransitions.com/blog/).  There are several additional resources to choose from, one of which I have listed in Recommendations section of this newsletter.

There are many more actions that an employer can take, but at the risk of this newsletter going far beyond its normal length, I will boil it down to a very few key points:

    • Educate your employees about the different perspectives of the multiple generations in the workforce, and why those perspectives exist.
    • Reinforce the need to respect employees of all generations.
    • Provide opportunities for employees to discuss differences and listen to different points of view.  This can be a little tricky (as everyone must remain respectful), so you need to be sure to have a skilled facilitator.
    • Review your current policies and consider multiple generational perspectives, particularly those related to dress, work hours, time off, career advancement, and any others you think may have some relevance to this topic.   I certainly am not suggesting these all be changed to accommodate every possible situation, however an adjustment here or there to reflect a broader perspective may be worth considering.
    • Focus on areas of common ground for all generations.  One example that comes to mind is flexibility.  Employees of all generations desire a workplace with more flexibility, albeit for different reasons.  For some, it’s to enable them to phase gradually into retirement, to care for aging parents, or perhaps to care for grandchildren.  For others, it may be to participate in volunteer work.  And for others, to be more available for family or commitments outside of work.  So, perhaps an all-inclusive Paid Time Off policy (instead of separate sick, personal, and vacation banks) might be a good option.
    Regardless of what role you play today (employee, employer, family member), the existence of multiple generations will impact you in some way.  Rather than become increasingly frustrated over the differences, take action to make it positive!

    Recommended reading about the topics covered in this issue:

    • Too Young To Retire – 101 Ways to Start the Rest of your Life, Authors Marika and Howard Stone

      Work with Me: A New Lens on Leading the Multigenerational Workforce,  Authors Debra S. Magnuson, Lora S. Alexander, Kristie Nelson-Neuhaus, Linda VanDenBoom

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