EXPERIENCE MATTERS
MARCH 2009 NEWSLETTER!
I'm amazed that we are already at the end of March. I know I was always told life speeds up as you get older but I suppose I hadn't believed it. I love this time of year when the days get longer, the daffodils are out and this year especially we have had such gorgeous weather it's hard not to feel hopeful even with the newspapers and television spreading doom and gloom re the recession.
There is no doubt that economically things aren't great. Many of my clients are really concerned about their finances as their savings will not go as far as they had expected and their homes are worth less. Others are worried they will be made redundant and never find a new job. Although I know it is hard I do think that positive thinking really does help and looking at how to cope with your situation and then making positive changes is the only solution. We can't predict the cards dealt but we can choose how we play them.
I was recently at a conference on 'Age Diversity in the downturn' hosted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Taen. The message that was coming from all the speakers was that this is the time when employers need to retain their older skilled workers as they carry both the organisational knowledge and the skills. Look at Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who at 57 brought his plane down safely in the Hudson River. His experience and skill was essential that day.
Society and the workplace are ageing. By 2015 a third of the workforce will be over 50. Older staff tend to want to work hard and take great pride in their work. They are also less likely to take a career break or have long periods of time off work. Older workers are still ambitious and motivated when they are valued and treated with respect. It is essential they pass on their knowledge and skills to younger employees and working in intergenerational teams and acting as mentors is the ideal way to do this.
Interestingly in the discussion about attitudes a number of speakers suggested that one of the reasons less older workers remain or return to the workforce is because they themselves think they are past it. Our attitudes and beliefs run us and we can at times be our worst enemies. A lot of the work we at Experience Matters have done recently has been on attitudinal change both for individuals and organizations. If any of you feel stuck please get in touch and talk to one of our coaches or come to a workshop.
Another area that was high on the agenda was looking at how many of us in our 50s as well as working and managing children are also carers of elderly relatives. More needs to be done by employers to enable individuals to cope with these roles. Our workshop in April 'The Sandwich Generation and Managing Parents' focuses on exactly this issue. I am being joined by three speakers - a solicitor who specializes in the legal issues such as power of attorney, inheritance tax and wills; an expert from an elderly parent organisatioons who specializes in coping strategies and a woman who has personal experience of being the filling in the sandwich! The day will be very participative so you can share your thoughts and feelings and you will also be offered practical tips to try. I hope many of you can join us.
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch this month I look forward to hearing from more of you
Workshop/Seminar dates
April 25th - 'The Sandwich Generation and Managing Parents'
May 6th - 'Separation, Divorce, Older Children, Re-blended Families, Grandparents'
June 20th - 'Relationships, Love and Sex' guest speaker JAN LEEMING
September 26th - 'Looking Good and feeling confident' featuring BRENDAN COURTNEY
October 3rd - 'Health and Wellbeing'
October 15th - Coping with the recession - 'Making redundancy work for you and Entrepreneurship'
Have a good month
Best wishes
Keren
'The Sandwich Generation and Managing Parents'
Saturday April 25th
'Separation, Divorce, Older Children, Re-blended Families, Grandparents'
Wednesday May 6th
'Relationships, Love and Sex'
with guest JAN LEEMING
Saturday June 20th
'Looking Good and Feeling Confident'
with BRENDAN COURTNEY
Workshop
September 26th 2009
with BRENDAN COURTNEY
Workshop
September 26th 2009
'Health and
Wellbeing at 50+'
Workshop
Saturday
October 3rd
Thursday October 15th
Wellbeing at 50+'
Workshop
Saturday
October 3rd
Thursday October 15th
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