To understand what this column is about, I suggest starting with three thoughts:
–Diego Bernardini (La Segunda Mitad, Ed. Aguilar) tells us that the new longevity is a new paradigm that goes beyond health and well-being. It places us over 50 in a role of strong prominence, combining social, consumption, production with health, well-being and quality of life, and encourages us by commenting that as of the moment of retirement it has barely passed 2/ 3 parts of the valid age.
–Bruce Feiler (Transitions, Ed Tendencias), after analyzing more than 200 life stories, tells us that life transitions are processes of 4 to 5 years, that linearity no longer exists and that transition management is a permanent competence that we must develop.
-Finally let’s remember Socrates who said that the secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
To connect these three thoughts, let me introduce this note from my personal experience.
A recent story. I have more than 40 years of career, having managed more than 300 transformation projects in more than 30 companies and a high-intensity life, beautiful family with a wife, four children and 3 grandchildren. Four years ago, when I turned 61, I became aware that in four years I would retire and leave the consulting company of which I was a partner.
My proactivity warned me that a new project was opening: mine.
Mobilized and a little disconcerted, I began a phase of search and discernment: what am I going to do with so much energy and proactivity? Because although the “laborally productive” life cycle was ending, I had a capital of experience and an energy that needed to be applied, because it fills me with meaning and meaning (a more refined form of happiness).
That search process took me a year, after which I found what today became my new vocation: Mentoring.
One more year of exploring how to train took me to Spain, because in various ways, the most recommended place to train was the Mentoring School based in Asturias, which had a one-year virtual certification.
The third year was living that certification, and it was at high intensity, with 16 hours per week, but at the same time I began to execute a succession process in my organization of the different responsibilities I had, sharing the task and the decisions with those who They would succeed me, with a profound change that was born from my “letting go” and accompanying the imprint of each successor.
The fourth year was magical, as I complemented the last stretch of succession, extremely creative and stimulating, with the construction of my new professional identity, and with the professional help of two daughters, Flor and Inés, we were able to capture it months later on a website (www.gustavocalveiro.com), in which I could tell my story and put myself at the service of the purpose I developed during this time: helping build the dreams of others as an advisor and mentor.
The arrival of 65 was no longer an end, but a desired beginning, a soft landing in my new phase, we were able to cushion the impact of my retirement in the organization where I worked for the last 20 years, we accelerated the growth of those with whom we share decisions the last 2 years and we created new and creative options to continue creating value, taking care of our clients. I was able to enjoy and be grateful for so much good experience and start the new section.
But around me, different friends of my generation lived a different reality. Because neither they could proactively lead their transitions, nor did the organizations have late-career programs to contain them, since it is almost impossible for the person alone to solve it without assistance in the first year of the journey. Let’s analyze what could be happening.
This is not talked about. We start from a shared reality: the modesty of experienced people and companies to “not talk about retirement.” Let’s imagine factors that could come from the “experienced close to retirement” to say nothing:
– Is it possible that you do not want to let go of power and reference, especially because the “later is pure uncertainty”, and by maintaining responsibilities you avoid having your authority violated?
– Could it be that if you talk about it, someone will interpret that you want to leave early?
– Will you be tempted to stretch the benefits of the position (compensation, status, etc.) as much as possible?
– Could it be that you don’t feel comfortable with potential successors and their management style (even without having experienced it)?
– Could you be afraid that the organization and its people will not take this last stretch of your career in a respectful manner?
Let’s now imagine possible factors that could influence the company not to propose talking about the topic:
– Is it possible that the focus on short- and medium-term decisions and the growing culture of agility will make you miss some of the entire movie?
– By following this line, will you be afraid that by opening this process you will risk not meeting goals and objectives due to lack of motivation?
– Could it be that they see it as unnecessary to anticipate processes that “can be resolved in a few months” when the time comes?
– If the organization has the succession map covered in the Business Continuity Plan, could it be that they have reduced to the idea that this solves the entire problem?
Or almost all of them combined for both?
I propose to change the look. Let’s imagine something different from both sides, but let’s start with the main actor in this story, the experienced one: What would happen if the experienced person who will retire, when he is 3 or 4 years away from the “theoretical retirement age”, were proactive in leading his own Next Vocation Program, the one that accompanies him for the following years of his “current” life? ”?
Bernardini tells us that when talking about validity it is referring to someone who is in force, is current, has a good present and resolves its task well. It will be time to include in your purpose the professional, the social and solidarity, the family and what you must apply your validity to fill the next section with meaning.
No one but him can lead this path towards his purpose, because he is the architect of the next section of his life.
Now let’s imagine that the company wanted to be an “angel” of that role. What would happen if the company launched a late-career program for those people with an outstanding career, responsibility for decision-making and a large capital of knowledge and experience?
This would allow you to achieve three objectives:
– Develop early, active and creative succession processes between the experienced and their teams, to share decisions, changing the concept of “knowledge transfer” to that of “enhancing shared experience””, where knowledge, experience, emotions are shared, in a mentor-mentee relationship.
– Give those who are going to retire the opportunity to “leave your legacy” in the stretch until his retirement, in recognition of his value. Give yourself a free and creative space to define that legacy and to make final contributions that stimulate it. “Play the last 20 minutes at high intensity, living an experience of closing the process as valuable as your career”
– Assist the experienced from the beginning of their process to stimulate the search and definition of their “next vocation”, in recognition of their professional career.
It is from having experienced the process personally, and observing how all of us who participated in it far exceeded what we could expect, that I invite you to take heart.
*Gustavo Calveiro is an Advisor and Mentor with more than 40 years of experience in making the complex challenges of organizations and people possible.
by Gustavo Calveiro
