BGood news for ladies of a certain age. That they dye their hair so as not to look like grandmothers, they crowd into refresher courses so as not to be left behindthey moved from the typewriter to the PC, from the fax to the smartphone and on the AI they said to themselves, to avoid being discovered, “bah…”, rejoicing at having lived the most glorious part of life in the pre-digital era. Which have seen renovations and changes of ownership, office tricks and low blows, spicy gossip and long-handed colleagues, promotions that are some deserved and some not. But I’m still there, at that desk that gave meaning, belonging, salary.
A surprise warning comes from the United States: hold on to them. Because they are a guarantee in times of AI. Fast Companyan American media that deals with innovation, lists the reasons. The first is demographic: they represent the largest part of the population. In other words, if you have lemons, make lemonade. If you have a lot of women over 50, use them. A little annoying, but it’s a fact.
The second is that they are veterans of changes: they have gone through many in their careers. Which often wasn’t a straight line, but many interrupted sections: VAT number, hiring, pregnancy, part time, VAT number again, caring for young children, smart working, caring for the elderly, freelance activities. If you have raised a child in our country, or accompanied two parents through their ailments by managing meetings from the pharmacy or the football pitch, nothing scares you anymore.
Danda Santini, director of “iO Donna” (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
Third: they have developed a natural instinct to adapt: they are flexible like a reed in the wind (knees aside).
Fourth, more subtle: over time their intuition has become rapid reading of the context and ability to judge. They quickly distinguish the useful and effective from the hoax. Their shoes, which over time become lower and bigger, often carry a fine brain for a walk.
Fifth: their emotional intelligence could make the difference. Coordinate, listen, mediate, take care, anticipate, manage. Get to know others. It is those human functions that distinguish us from machines.
Illustration by Cinzia Zenocchini
Sixth: they are more open to new generations. They don’t pontificate, they welcome and often teach willingly. They are not afraid of losing their jobs, because they know that there is another life waiting for them outside.
Seventh: aware of their strengths they enjoy contributing to the collective good, in companies and in life as citizens. Give back, if they have had a successful career. Do something meaningful if work was more alienating.
Eighth: where everything seems to collapse, pragmatic and non-ideological, accustomed to making do due to lack of means, they know how to prioritize in order to move forward despite.
Conclusion. “Senior” women they interpret society with clarity and concreteness, because they experience its difficulties first-hand. Health for the elderly, education for children, transport for all, fair wages for spending, are central to their agenda. Including them means better understanding real needs. Once you get here you feel a bit like a Wonder Woman ready to save the world. But in times of budget cuts a doubt arises: do you want to see that someone has noticed how much less we cost?