Would it surprise you to learn that the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce is not Millenials or Gen Z—it’s Boomers? According to Gallup, that demographic is growing at 10,000 per day. Is 70 the new 60? People are living productive lives in conditions that would have curtailed their productivity and lifestyles decades ago. You are letting your most experienced employees leave, or worse, getting hired by your competition. Why not encourage them to stay, even in a part-time capacity, instead of ushering them out the door. If they are still mentally and physically capable of doing the job, have them mentor or train your new hires who may need to gain experience or know-how. Your aging workforce is your competitive advantage.
‘Intellectual capital is the sum of everything everybody in a company knows, giving it a competitive edge. Tap into the experience of an older generation.’ – Stewart.
Everything we choose to do alters our brains, fundamentally changing who we are, a process that continues until we die. Malcolm Knowles, an influential contemporary figure in adult education, believes that adults can learn new things given the correct set of circumstances and in an environment that they think is conducive to learning.
Knowles recommends applying these five adult learning principles to create a learning environment.
- Adults learn when they understand why something is important to know or do. Make sure everyone understands the ‘why’ in what you are trying to teach them.
- Adults can learn when they are free to learn in their own way. Incorporate all of the senses in your approach to ensure learning has occurred. Visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, everyone has a preferred learning style.
- Adults like to link new knowledge to past experiences. Any activity that gets them involved makes the learning experiential.
- Adults learn when the time is right for them to learn. Adults only want to understand what they need to know and when they need to know it.
- Adults will learn if the process and environment are positive and encouraging. Be their biggest fan. Praise their performance and give them your sincere encouragement.
‘Experience is never limited, and it’s never complete; it is an immense sensibility, a kind of spider-web suspended in the chamber of our consciousness and catching every air-borne particle in its tissue.’ – Henry James.
We must overcome the myth that older workers can’t innovate. They can form new networks in their brains whenever they pursue new interests and activities. Cognitive learning theorizes that we can boost our brain’s cognitive performance. Your aging workforce is your competitive advantage.
We aren’t born knowing how to teach others what they need to know, but our leadership development programs will train you how. Contact Brian for details.
Copyright 2024. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. This article was written without AI assistance. Are you searching for a training provider for you or your management team. To learn more about Brian and what we can do for you and your organization, visit our website, https;//briansmithpld.com
Have you ever licked a 9-volt battery? (I’m not suggesting that you do – I’m just asking if you have). When adults do something that makes them feel good – that gets them excited – what are they more apt to do? If you licked a 9-volt battery and you liked that sensation – then more than likely you’d lick it again. I believe the key to motivating someone is to figure out what turns their crank – figure out what they are looking to get out of the deal. People do things for their own reason – not yours. All you have to do is figure out what’s in it for them and use that to get them to do what you need to get done.
Yes, I admit it. I was once a control freak! I was an “old school” micro-manager. Trust me – in my 40+ year career as an award-winning entrepreneur and general manager for a major corporation, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. I’m here to confess my number one sin in the hope that first-time supervisors, managers and business leaders will learn what not to do. I also think there’s a lesson here for seasoned veterans who developed their management style in the late 1960’s like I did. Social psychologist Douglas McGregor referred to it as a “Theory X” style of management. Managers who adopted this style believed that workers were inherently lazy and needed to be bullied or brow-beaten into performing their work. Employees were never to question authority. “Do as I say – not as I do. When I tell you to jump – the only thing you can ask is how high”. There are still a number of managers and business leaders out there who continue to manage and lead that way. They manage and lead by intimidation. I’m here to tell you the days of the “Bully Boss” are over.
Why women make better leaders can be summed up in just one word – “Empathy”. (The ability to see it from another person’s point of view). Women seem to come by it naturally, while most men have to work at it. Dee Dee Myers – author of “Why Women Should Rule The World” believes that women are more successful at managing small businesses because women can make people accountable for their actions but, they are also there to support them. “Females have the trait, where maybe most males do not”. Mary Matalin, former counsellor to President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney was quoted as saying – “Women around the world are rewriting history at a ferocious pace with or without mans permission”. It’s easy to argue that men haven’t been doing such a good job lately of managing things. That’s not a political statement – I’m just stating the facts. In the words of Bob Dylan – “The times they are a changing”.
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