Over-50

Thirtysomethings and Boomers - What We Have in Common

Sure, business leadership, you can contract with consultants to brief you on the thirtysomethings in your offices.

What you're already hearing from the media is that they are burned out, critical of the culture and know they have other options. The most talented might have already have hit the exits. 

But, a more intimate introduction to the thirtysomething is through the new book "But You're Still So Young: How Thirtysomethings Are Redefining Adulthood." The author is seasoned journalist Kayleen Schaefer. Her publication credits range from Vanity Fair to The New York Times. Just released in March 2021, it ranks high on Amazon. She herself is a thirtysomething.

Essentially the "story" of the thirtysomething generation, as it unfolds in "Still So Young," is one of expectations not happening.

On the one hand, in their rear view mirror they see the ethos of the 1950s.

That was not only a more simple time.

The rites of passage were predictable and occurred on-time: education, career, marriage, American dream of home ownership and family. They want some of that. Of course, that linear sequence is not easily put together in the volatile 21st century. Among the landmines along that once-standard path have been three economic downturns, dominance of the gig work model and student loan debt. 

On the other hand, they are discovering it is exciting to try out new approaches to everything from launching a career to finding connection. That, some psychologists speculate, has prevented their becoming developmental delayed. All the newness had been keeping their brains "plastic."

Obviously, most have experienced hard times, both financial and emotional. Overall, finally, they sense they are finding their way. That's through mapping out their own unique journey. All likely realize, though, they are not out of those woods yet. Some of those who assumed they had achieved financial stability had the rug pulled out from them by COVID. Too many are still living home with their family. COVID increased that number. 

Riding that rollercoaster has shaped the thirtysomethings not to be willing to buy into the configuration of traditional career paths. Another lesson is not listening to the perceptions of others about what they "should do."

For instance, they have been disappointed too much to bank, literally, on the assumption that extreme hard work and conformity to organizational values will bring X or Y reward. That hurt is so raw that they are willing to accept a pay cut to make a living according to who they are and what they can get out bed in the morning to do. In the book is the up and down and up again chronicle of Marcus. 

The author herself questions the fierce all-work ethic she had embraced when working at Yahoo. Parent Verizon is currently exploring the sale of Yahoo, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The culture of many businesses doesn't fit well with this generation. That could become a problem in recruiting and retaining young talent.

Reflection: In the downsizing of Corporate America at the end of the 1980s, we exiled middle managers also had that same moment of clarity current thirtysomethings have had soon after college: We couldn't buy into what was then still referred to as "the system." We boomers had to figure out on our own how to make a good living. All that career advice we paid for ... Haha.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

It's About The Money - Barb Stout, RVer Working At Amazon, Is On The Money

The "Camperforce" documentary - which you can view here - features RVer Barb Stout and her husband Chuck Stout. After the couple lost their nest egg in the 2008 global economic crash, they pivoted into the RV lifestyle.

Increasingly that includes finding and doing seasonable or temporary jobs while on the road. Some RVers have down cold who will be hiring, where and when. For example, some show up every spring to do jobs in national parks. 

No slouch when it comes to trends, Amazon looped into that. It created a whole recruitment program called "CamperForce." Primarily it's geared to older workers such as the Stout couple. Amazon posts information about the program it on its website.

The Stout couple applied at the CamperForce program and were hired for the $11-an-hour gigs. They were "pickers" in an Amazon warehouse. That is, they scouted up the goods for fulfilling orders.

Yes, the jobs are demanding. At night, after using a scanner all day, Barb's hand can go numb. Chuck got hit in the head with a falling box. 

Liberals may balk at what seems to be exploitation of the vulnerable aging who deal with sustained financial challenges. There is a lot to be said about that.

However, what Amazon provides is work. It pays. And Barb is pragmatic. She presents her take on why Amazon recruits the aging. She hammers that Amazon knows older workers are there not to learn, not to get ahead. It's about the money. End of story. They do the job and that's that.

In coaching, that's exactly the mindset I recommend to those who are post-career. The new game for them is to earn income. And as much as possible. They are no longer pursuing macro goals such as upward mobility, personal branding or building wealth. 

That perspective allows those in their 60s, 70s and 80s to shake off all the "oughts" of the careerist. They only have to go to work, do the job and be alert for opportunities that offer more, including increased income.

All generations, not only the aging, have to continually search for work. The iconic job guide "What Color Is Your Parachute?" documents that trend. The most important skill in the current economy is the know-how to be hired. Both jobs and project assignments have shorter and shorter shelf lives. 

Here, free to download, is my guide on landing, holding and moving on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Semiretired - Your Ego Is Getting Bashed

Both for income and to remain busy, you are opting for semiretirement.

That is, you will continue to work. That might not necessarily be on your old career path.

As ProPublica documented, the odds are that you were forced out of your career job sooner than you expected. If you were fortunate enough to land another job, only one in 10 of you is being paid comparable compensation. 

If you remain doing assignments in what you know best, they might not be the high-profile plum kinds of you have tackled at the peak of your career.

If you opt out of pursuing work where your core competence had been, then you will not be a brandname in that niche or niches. But it's money and that can help you not to dip into savings and investments to make ends meet and simultaneously enjoy a bit of the good life.

The result usually is a blow to your ego. Many of the semiretired I coach confide the difficulty they are experiencing transitioning from being a player to simply a worker among workers. 

No fools, they are quite aware that they do have work, some of it may be well-paying. However, often there is deep pain at the loss of name recognition, influence and being in high demand.

Those feelings are real. But it is possible to exit what had been the comfort zone for 30 or 40 years to a new mindset and set of behaviors. Joy in work and perhaps greater joy in life are possible. Here you can download a guide on that - free. 

That begins with gratitude for what you have. And shaking off the preoccupation with what you have lost. Yes, semiretirement involves giving up the goals that have dominated a professional's journey perhaps since high school. There is no way around it: The game is different.

In his seminal book "Necessary Endings," executive coach Henry Cloud hammers how destructive it is not to be able to let go of what is no longer a fit. Essentially, the result is being stuck. And the stuck get more and more stuck. There is a real possibility that eventually they can't extricate themselves from that break with reality.

The next step in managing semiretirement joyfully is to leverage creativity. On professional network LinkedIn there are a number of those over-65 who have put together a fresh persona and sandbox of expertise to play in. That not only has attracted a following. That has brought in work.

For example a former government middle manager has developed a humor column. A former full-time college professor of exposition has created a detailed how-to on everything from points of grammar to being more concise. 

A third is to apply for assignments which represent a stretch. You probably will find you can do it. That opens the door to more work. Also, you will have the wild joy of learning something new. Along the way you might becoming certified in that field. 

Semiretirement entails understanding a new approach to earning income. Once you get that down cold you can begin each of work day with a kind of enthusiasm and freedom you may never have experienced along your traditional career path.

Also a free download is my book on breaking into the labor market that tends to be biased against age Download Outwitting ageism.

If you still are struggling with this transition, I am here for you.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Before You Publish That Book - The Bob Dilenschneider Misfire

Books roared back during COVID lockdown.

So, as expected, as a book ghostwriter I received lots of phone calls and emails about assisting those over-50 finally publish a book. That had been their dream for decades. 

I warned them: In this era of Amazon, if their book didn't do well they could be humiliated. Those low rankings on Amazon could provide great satisfaction to their enemies. 

The way to help prevent that, I informed them, could be to hire a top book promoter.

But, I added: Even with that, the book might not produce respectable numbers of Amazon.

I provided the example of public affairs leaders Bob Dilenschneider. He had access to the top of the line folks in the book loop.

Yet, his book "Decisions" never got off the ground. It now stands in what might be called the corridor of Amazaon shame at a ranking of 1,362,209. I imagine Dilenschneider carries that around like stink on his shoe.

Instead of investing money and hope in a book, I recommend launching a podcast. Here is the article I published on that in the bible of public relations - O'Dwyer PR. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Another Reason You Can't Retire: Food Inflation

Millions of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are on the fence about whether to retire and when.

After all, the kinds of work associated with a career have become more and more demanding. 

Put in more hours.

Learn new technologies.

Come up with innovative ways to get more done with less.

Always be on-call.

Also, hovering over just about anyone over-50 is the real possibility of being forced out their good jobs. ProPublica documents that the odds are not leaving employment voluntarily. In addition, once out, those fortunate enough to land back in on their career path have only a one in 10 chance of earning what they did previously.

But, financial reality is this: Most can't afford to stop earning income. However, earning income doesn't have to be from a career. Careers have shorter and shorter shelf lives. Income can come from full-time non-career jobs, part-time jobs, gig work and running a business. 

The latest data to come in reinforcing the folly of stopping income from work is food inflation. Bloomberg describes how that is playing out around the world. It's not only in the U.S. where there is sticker-shock at the supermarket. 

Yes, the situation is so severe that economic experts anticipate a wave of what is called "food insecurity."

So, how do you pivot from a career, which really no longer exists or has been petering out, to simply hustling for a buck?

The transition is only possible for those who can wrap their heads around the necessity of bringing in money from working - forever. Yes, let the whole notion of "career" go. This next phase of working is about funding the lifestyle you want. It's pragmatic. Totally. Status and all the other side trimmings have no place in this new focus.

A free read, here is a guide on how to find, hold and move on to better work Download Outwitting ageism.

How to actually start?

Get a cup of coffee and study the help-wanted ads on major employment platforms such as Craigslist - Sites. Check every category, ranging from business management and customer service to writing and gigs. 

Where is there a fit? There should be plenty of fits. For example, most can perform call center duties or take a full-time position in loss prevention.

Next, research on the internet how to do resumes and cover letters for different kinds of employment. One size doesn't fit all. A third-shift proofreading postion in a law firm requires a format and approach unlike what goes into a resumes and cover letters for delivering pizzas.

Then, it's show time. Get out there and demonstrate on paper for those hiring what you can do for them. The world of work in the 21st century is about getting results for employers and doing that better faster and with less budget than the competition. That is the tone of all work-search materials, including the approach of interviews. No longer do those hiring put up with a laundry list of stand-alone qualifications.

Age? Keep the experience to about seven years. Not only does that mask age. It also prevents employers from tossing an application since they assume they can't afford to take on someone with so much experience.

Rejection? So? It's the universe's gift to work-searchers. No response or a "no" provides data about what not to do or what to do or more of it. Be grateful for that indirect feedback.

The best way of becoming a 2021 hustler? Read the latest edition of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" Since the mid 1970s, it has been tutoring those who need work on how to compete for the type which pays the best and offers superior terms and conditions. 

In addition, observe others over-50 who are out there working. What seems to be their attitude? How do they present themselves? How do they handle the end of an assignment? 

And, put together a Listenting Post for news of who's hiring. That can be a little group meeting regularly in McDonald's or a get-together on Zoom. Most opportunities aren't advertised. 

Work, without the burden of careerism, can provide joy.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

What's Old Is New Again - Maybe Not in the Book Medium

"Sales volume of print books sold in the United States in 2020 totaled 751 million units, according to NPD’s analysis, accounting for an 8.2 percent year-over-year increase from 2019. NPD reports that these figures account for the best year for print book sales in the U.S. since 2010." - Jon Gingerich, Odwyerpr.com, February 26, 2021.

Top sellers ranged from the inspirational "A Promised Land" by Barack Obama to the expose "Too Much and Never Enough" by Mary Trump. 

The sales driver was COVID-19. Not only were we locked in. There came a tipping point in how much screen time we could or would absorb. We longed to go old-fashioned and read. Sprawl on the couch. However, many public libraries were closed for walk-ins. Books could only be checked out in off-putting ways. So, sure, pop again to buy books. They arrived right at the door. 

However, businesses and individuals who assume they are savvy about trendwatching shouldn't rush into planning to do a print book. As that adage screams, the past isn't prologue.

When COVID-19 pulls out of town the pent-up demand for activities outside the walls of the home is bound to explode.

According to Deloitte, reports AP, the coming of vaccines has boosted planning for travel.

Bad news for Peloton, gyms could reopen. The message is out: Sitting is the new smoking. In the UK that could be in April 2021. Don't count on gym rats to bring a print book to read during a complex workout.

In "South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom," SCOTUS ruled the reopening of churches in California, with some guidelines. Religious organizations are social. The congregations will be out and about singing in the choir, doing good works and fundraising in innovative ways. 

Print books could return to being a fading medium.

The circling back to a downward trajectory could be accelerated by podcasting. Talk is easier to do than the intricate systems of the print medium. Also it's more fun. And it can be absorbed in a mobile way.

I published a major article on Odwyerpr.com about podcasting trends in 2021. Sure, Obama has out there a bestseller print book. But recently what has been his media magnet is his Spotify podcast with Bruce Springsteen. It's called "Renegades: Born in the USA." 

There's more than that, though, to marketability.

Also, companies and individuals have to be more engaging on social networks, be they LinkedIn or Twitter. That requires thought leadership or going beyond the platitudes, along with catchy headlines. Embed old-fashioned soul in posts. What's sincere has become the new pull force. 

E-books? Glutted territory. 

White papers. They're back. That's because they are data-rich, straightforward and being developed by blockbuster brandnames such as those in management consulting and think tanks. The template is standard. Lean into it, like an old shoe.

 Meanwhile, advocacy platforms such as Vice and Abovethelaw keep the tone of communications, both internal and external, from excessive arrogance. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Before There Were Counterculture Hippies, There Were the Beats: Lawrence Ferlinghetti as Culture-Changer

"Poet, publisher and bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who helped launch and perpetuate the Beat movement, has died. He was 101. Mr. Ferlinghetti died at his San Francisco home Monday, his son Lorenzo Ferlinghetti told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The cause was lung disease." - The Wall Street Journal (originally published by AP), February 23, 2021.

Even many Baby Boomers don't remember the Beats. But had not Ferlinghetti been a culture-changer, America wouldn't have been fully able to shake off the white-bread Eisenhower era. 

But shake it off it did. On university campuses in the west, then the midwest, we got it: Traditional Americana was oppressive.

Men grew their hair. Women got on The Pill. And many of us ducked out of graduate school before finishing our dissertations. We regretted not having gone to law school. Otherwise we could do more for consumer rights than just be a grassroots Nader Raider.

Then came the brutal economic downturn of the mid 1970s. Those of us who were going to amount to anything suited up for the career opportunities in Corporate America. Eventually, some of us did try law school but it was too late. I left Harvard Law as a 1L. That's a career path which must be embraced early in the game.

And now here we are fumbling for how to honor Ferlinghetti. After all, his medium was the book. Print. Now the culture-shapers like Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen are podcasting. For them it's a collaboration. It's hard to resurrect the ethos of the Beat Age. Come to think of it, it's difficult to time travel to the counterculture. Were we ever really so free? Internally did we question our lack of attention to careers? We who become ultra careerists? The money was in corporate. 

Now, we have shifted from working all the time to the oddball pleasure of post-career just-earning-a-buck. As in the counter culture days, we again can have fun while earning income, trust most of the co-workers and have no desire to "get ahead." It's a different kind of high than the counterculture.

But it is a high. During the long days of angling for those promotions our insides felt just like T.S. Eliot's "Wasteland." Now we can reimagine some versions of freedom. Meanwhile, unlike Millennials, we have Medicare and Social Security. Maybe even an investment fund. In the counterculture, crashing on someone else's waterbed, we had nothing. At least not that didn't fit in a VW Beetle. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Are You Doing a Serena Williams?

"Once again, Serena Williams came within reach of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, playing well enough to get to the closing days of a major tournament. And once again, Williams couldn't quite get it done — beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday (Wednesday night EST)." - CBS News, February 18, 2021.

The world changes. The game changes. Upstarts struggle to become the new stars. We change. Yes, aging also happens,

Yet, the usual tragedy of fierce careerists is that we ignore all that. We decide to not to let go. 

In his breakthrough book "The Hero's Farewell," Jeffrey Sonnenfeld analyzed that syndrome. 

In my coaching of the over-50 the presenting problem is always: They no longer have what it takes to dominate their field. Usually it's a mix of decline in energy level, new forms of competition, inability to keep up with change and loss of creativity. 

One solution is a pivot to another phase of a career. The one-time innovation genius in communications can shift to administration or university teaching. Eventually Don Draper of "Mad Men" would probably have had to be the front man for a major advertising agency versus the hands-on Idea Guy.

Williams has many such options. They range from becoming a world-class coach to fundraising for the sport.

But, she may or may not have that moment of clarity: That part of my professional life may be over. And even if she has it, she may not surrender to that reality.

Instead of struggling to hang in there, there could be fresh kinds of success opening up. That happens through a willingness to discover another niche or a whole new vocation.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Bob Dilenschneider - What Was He Thinking in 2019?

In this data-driven era public relations player Bob Dilenschneider made the decision to publish a non-data-driven guide about making decisions. That - "Decisions" - hit the market on December 31, 2019. Cute. Just in time to help the rest of us make our decisions for 2020.

That was probably not one of Dilenschneider's best decisions. Today, at a bit beyond noon ET, "Decisions" ranks 1,391,952 on Amazon. Not good. 

The subtitle includes the concept of "practical advice." Who the hell wants practical advice any more. We want to analyze algorithms which can provide unique insight about what was, what is and what can be. 

Just try to pass on some practical advice to Generation Z. They won't even put in the effort of rolling their eyes. 

Also, who gives a damn about the "23 men and women who shaped the world." That was yesterday. Actually more than a year ago. And the world doesn't seem to be in such great shape.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Aging and the Unfinished Business of Success

Embracing the traditional and rigid model of getting, holding and scaling success lifted our Baby Boomer generation into the middle class - and, yes, beyond. 

The first step - college - was universally available. Unlike now, tuition was peanuts. Part-time jobs were plentiful.

The post-War economy caught fire.  

And, The Pill allowed for limiting the size of families (previously a distraction from chasing success with everything we got). 

But as lawyers, medical doctors, head nurses, public relations experts, information specialists, career military and university professors look back in our 60s and 70s, we are analyzing what the hell that was all about.

For many of us, our careers had peaked. Although more of us are still working, it's more focused on income per se versus Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Last night, on a open Zoom discussion (https://zoom.us/j/99892265318) hosted by Tina Squire, minster at the Sky Island Unitarian Universalist Church, Sierra Vista, Arizona (6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. mountain time) both Baby Boomers and members of Generation X analyzed success. Among the issues were how perspectives on success might shift with aging and how Millennials as well as their parents currently rate its importance.

According to the book "Excellent Sheep," by Yale professor William Deresiewicz, the chase is still going on. And at a feverish pace, at least in the Ivy League. For success, those students are willing to conform as much as Baby Boomers did during the Eisenhower era. 

But, come on, there is that old cliche: On deathbeds no one regrets not working harder. But that might not be true. Some of the conversations during the Unitarian Zoom meeting indicated disappointment at not having been more successful. Obviously, that whole enchilada - how far our careers had taken us - remains for too many of us unfinished business. In my career coaching of those over-50, a dominant meme is the assumption that they could have been a lot more successful, if only ...

Of course, what factored in our revisiting our professional past were issues such as the role of failure and our own "human frailty." With aging comes a reaching in, noted Rev. Squire. And, you bet, both Baby Boomers and Xers are doing that. Inner life can no longer go uninspected.

Yes, yes, yes, there is a school of thought, especially among tech entrepreneurs, that professional life is nothing but an experiment. Most of those experiments don't pan out.

However, the tough nut to crack, at all stages of a career, is to accept that reality. Lawyers try strategies and tactics for both litigation and transactional work. The world, from the leadership in law firms to the media, watch. Failure isn't a private matter. Failure usually entails contracting with a top public relations agency for reputation restoration.

Likely the questioning by Baby Boomers and Generation X might have no influence on the value the next generations in America put on success. When some of us finally broke free we created the Generation Gap. That model continues to dominate. The different generations operate in silos.

Actually, unlike Baby Boomers, Millennials are a highly fragmented bunch. Some, reports INC., are impatient for traditional kinds of success. Among them are the majority of law-firm associates who are convinced they will be promoted to partner.

On the other hand, observes The Guardian, there are the Millennials who demand meaning from professional life. That is more important to them than the size of the paycheck. For that reason, in mission statements employers are hammering purpose. The buzzword "vocation" is back. In his LinkedIn posts digital marketing expert Paul Chaney explores how work can be sacred. His musings are influential. 

All generations are welcome to join the Unitarian discussions, usually based on a particular book (but, no, you don't have to read it), on Wednesday evenings.

At 10:00 a.m. (mountain time) there are a Zoom meditation sessions and discussions https://zoom.us/j/97417456265

My takeaway from circling back to my experiences as a careerist is that more failure came from following supposed expert advice on success than was necessary. Had I trusted my intuition I likely would have had more success and on my own terms. Success can be a beautiful journey. The financial security which sets in with aging can give us the courage to experiment in very different ways. And not default into regret.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)