Retired without Permission
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.” But no-one in the organization really had any kind of a meaningful conversation with Frank about what his aspirations for the future were or how he might want to continue to contribute.
Frank continued to work hard. He knew no other way and was brilliant at reading people, cooperating and negotiating, finding compromises and resolving conflicts with a diverse customer base - and his productivity rose year over year. He was great at seeing the big picture, could see situations from multiple view points and quickly identified patterns to resolve problems based on decades of real-world experience.
Within one month. Yup! You heard me right. Within one month he was given a large payout, the company hosted a fabulous party, he didn’t get a gold watch but did get a few cases of good wine and after 30+ years, this high performer quietly walked out of the building and took with him all the experience, strategic thought, and wisdom learned over his illustrious career.
Why would any forward-thinking organization allow this to happen? There had to have been a better way to manage the situation. Experience has great value as we draw on past knowledge to make better decisions and to avoid making the same mistakes over and over and over. Why would any President or CEO allow a new hire, or Frank’s replacement to stumble unnecessarily when this wisdom worker could have easily pointed out the danger ahead.
The current model for “transitioning” in the corporate world is no longer working. In fact, while the world continued to change and adapt, it’s an area covered in dust virtually untouched for decades. At the Experience Group we help our client companies re-imagine how they transition their long-tenured and highly experienced workers in a way that helps them maximize the power of a multi-generational workforce and retain the institutional memory that got their business to where they aretoday.
Those that seize this enormous opportunity based on a thorough understanding of how their experienced workforce contributes will be well positioned to navigate the changing times and accelerate growth.