Policy makers are reassessing the way our country looks after its aged. This article looks at some of the issues demanding their attention.
Continue reading ‘What’s lacking in the care of our senior citizens?’
Author Archive for Lynda
I have come across a website that I believe understands the market and the thinking of boomers on the verge of a change of lifestyle. Just as the younger generation uses back packing hostels when traveling, this group has identified the need for a similar style for the older generation. The site is www.elderhostel.org.
The site focuses on adventure in lifelong learning. There are more than 8000 all inclusive learning adventures in more than 90 countries around the world. These adventures focus on history, culture, nature, music, outdoor activities, skills and crafts.
Here are a few current adventures to wet your appetite:
Food and Culture of Tuscany
The Ionia Odyssey: In the footsteps of Homer
Birding the hotspots of Costa Rica
A loaf of bread, a jug of wine: A taste of Provence
Opera in Italy: A feast for the senses.
This article is part of the February 2007 TomorrowWisdom.biz ezine. To automatically receive it each month, visit TomorrowWisdom.biz.
We are also building up profiles of people who are close to retyring and rewiring for a new season in life. Add your profile to the list!
5 Steps to fulfilling work that fuels your passion, suits your personality and fills your pocket. By Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners. ISBN 0-02-864228-7
The 5 steps of the Rewire process - a formula we have used successfully with our clients - are as follows:
- Seeing the opportunity: Retiring is a going from and rewiring is a going to.
- Identifying your “drivers�
- Linking the drivers to your activities.
- Creating your rewired vision.
- Developing your action plan.
The real workforce challenge for the future is not a shortage of workers but an abundance of older workers who would like to keep working. Don’t Retire, Rewire offers practical advice to help employers engage those workers in new ways and to help older workers understand the arrangements that best meet their needs.
I enjoyed this book. It was practical and helps a person to plot direction and create a new and exciting future.
A Study carried out by SAICE (2004) revealed that there is a shortage of qualified civil engineering professionals in municipalities. The study further found that there are many student technicians who are unable to obtain experiential training or employment after graduating because there is insufficient capacity to manage and train young professionals.
The ENERGYS program ( Engineers now ensuring roll-out by growing young skills) was conceived to start to address these challenges. The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) and the South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organization ( SABTACO) have teamed up to manage this programme. The programme will deploy senior engineers paired with students and graduates in local government to assist with unblocking the bottlenecks and to offer a comprehensive training environment for students and graduates alike.
In the pilot phase of this project there are forty three seniors, forty five graduates and eighty five students deployed across more than seventy municipalities. Many seniors have expressed their concern at the limited understanding that their students and graduates display in many engineering principles and have taken it upon themselves to become teachers and lecturers. We have discovered a valuable latent talent in our seniors, which must be harnessed to the full.
In a new book published in 2005 (through SAICE) called Numbers and Needs, ( ISBN 0-620-35092-X) the author Allyson Lawless states that “because there are many vacancies in state organizations, it is recommended that posts should be filled by teams consisting of a recently retired senior and two or three young graduates. The senior should be tasked with training the graduates as well as initiating and managing the many projects for which there is currently no capacity.� Retired professionals should be harnessed to assist with workplace training to develop the rapidly transforming pool of graduates.
This project will become a beacon of hope for many other professions that are struggling with the lack of skills in the workplace. With 2010 looming we need to stand together and learn from each other and build a brighter future.
The first Baby Boomers will turn sixty this year and they will do what no other generation has done before them: Re-tyre.
There are a number of factors that are already causing futurists to look at the effects of this upcoming change. Many predict that it will bring about a societal change of Tsunami-like proportions. In America, 70 million Boomers will retire over the next twenty years. One of the factors that have changed the Boomer world is medical science. Many more people are living much longer. The generation behind the Boomers, the Xers, are not as large in number as their predecessors. In the States there are approximately 46 million in Generation X – 35% less than the Boomers.
These low numbers are causing much concern amongst actuaries who are trying to balance the pension fund cash flows of major corporations. Many Boomers have spent most of their work life at one company thus their pension fund has been the main focus of their retirement funding. As corporations have merged and been bought out, people have been retrenched or shifted. Many may have been retrenched early or will be surprised in the near future by such a change. These employment concerns have seen the Boomer generation looking at their future through new eyes. Watching their parents and older peers’ mode of retirement has also had a dramatic impact on their perception of the retirement life stage.
I have just read this article from Time Magazine. Read it here.
As technology improves so do the gadgets that will assist people to live life. Read this list to see what awaits the AGING BOOMERS in the future.
I came across a great site today which I think will make everyone envious. Billy and Akaisha Kaderli decided to retire at age 38. They have been travelling and enjoying life for the past 16 years and still managed to retain investments. They have written a book available online or on CD called ” The Adventure Guide to Early Retirement ” . Here is an extract from their profile:
There were many interests to pursue while still mentally and physically flexible. A few of these choices were global travel, foreign cuisine, native people’s artwork and customs. Journaling and photographing these travels from a unique perspective made it easier to remain in touch with family and friends.
We want to emphasize that no one knows what the future will bring. There are many ways to live a life, so make the most of it! Our advice to you is: Follow your dreams!
Go to their site for more details :http://www.retireearlylifestyle.com/
I have discovered that the wonderful tool of blogging has helped me to stay connected to my family. I have 2 brothers and a sister and between us we have 9 children. My two are married so the total number of people in the family is 20. The age range is from 12 to 74 ( my mom) We are living on 4 different continents and even those of us left in South Africa do not live in the same city. I would say that we are typical of many families all over the world dealing with globalisation and the challenges this brings to staying connected.
What a joy to wake up and log on to the blog and communicate or read about some activity or exciting adventure. The comments for me form such an important part of the conversation as the humour, comments and interaction fly across my screen. The other morning my 13 year niece discovered that her sugar glider is pregnant and going tp produce babies. Within an hour there was comment from London , then Thailand and back home to White River then from my sister in the USA and my mom here in Johannesburg. We have all learnt about the gestation period and pictures have been posted to keep us all in the loop.I believe that this tool is helping us to keep up with the GLUE type conversations that normally happen when one lives in the same house. In fact I think we know more about one another than some families that do live within close proximty but never seem to have the time to chat and connect.
In a world that is so fast and spread out I have found this tool to be invaluable in keeping me connected to the most important people in my life. Family values are critical for society. Thak goodness technology is there to help us stay connected. ….. one last comment on the subject, I have noticed that the female members of my family connect more and make more of an effort…. that is another story for another day and the lessons we need to learn about the Connection Economy.
Lynda Smith, trained Retirement Coach and Wisdom Continuity expert, shares some insights into the options facing those who will reach retirement age in the next 10 years. Its fairly clear that this generation of retirees are not going to give up work completely and disappear to the coast or golf courses. But what options do they have?
In an article I read to day there is an equation used to try and predict what your domestic workforce equation looks like.
The report offers the Aging/Work force Equation: global aging + country/region factors + policy levers + wildcards = work force outcomes.
They also offer 7 implications relating to this scenario.
Domestic supplies of labor will decline.
o Aging will “double whammy” the high-skilled worker supply.
o The global “Battle for Talent” will intensify.
o Indigenous supply of low-skilled workers will decrease.
o Manufacturing firms locate where there are less labor shortages.
o Globalization of human resources.
o Efforts to substitute capital and technology for labor.
Read the complete article here: http://www.salemnews.net/news/story/0723202006_new07brownfield.asp
As Boomers approach 60 years of age many are asking the question. Who am I and what am I going to do with the remainer of my life ?
In the USA there are many tools apprearing on the market to help individuals assess their current status and then work with a coach to plan a strategy for the future.
TomorrowWisdom is able to offer this service currently in South Africa. Read more about the global review here: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_30/b3994402.htm
Fifteen percent of the CEO’s of the worlds biggest 2500 firms left their jobs in 2005 — a sharp increase on 2004 and 70 percent more than a decade ago. More than a third of those were relieved of their duties due to under-performance, some quit simply because they couldn’t take the pace and others reached mandatory retirement age. In many cases they would have been relieved. Being CEO of a top company may be financially rewarding but it’s increasingly demanding and many are bowing out.
The stats for the JSE are even higher with at least ten of South Africa’s 40 biggest companies changing CEO in the past 18 months, with retirements, resignations and sackings all prevalent in the local market. This is an extract from an article by Bruce Whitfield in Business.iafrica.com. read it here.http://business.iafrica.com/opinion/662457.htm
An excellent article with a range of Technology opportunities that will open up as Boomers age.
Policymakers must now go beyond discussions of health and economic security to anticipate the aging boom and the role of technology in responding to the needs of an aging society. They must craft policies that will spur innovation, encourage business investment, and rapidly commercialize technology-based products and services that will promote well-being, facilitate independence, and support caregivers. Read more at http://issues.org/16.1/coughlin.htm
Rumour has it that one of our BOOMER sales people enjoyed the opening music of our newest presentation, PRIME TIME.
Caught this moment in the middle of our sales team meeting this past week.
Watch this space. This presentation is going to have the BOOMERS ROCKING.
This article was shared with me today and was extracted from IPE.com, Investments and Pensions, Europe. The Dutch are always known for their progressive thinking on key issues relating to society. They must be feeling the pain and now have decided to address the issue. This could be the start of other governments addressing this issue that will have major impacts on society at large.
- The Dutch cabinet want to abolish the compulsory retirement age of 65 for civil servants, in order to encourage employees to working longer, it said. The decision is part of a package to stimulate all workers older than 55 to keep active as long as possible. The cabinet will actively inform employers, employees and companys personnel departments on the legal possibilities of carrying on working. At the moment, there are hardly any legal restrictions for non-civil servants to continuing a career beyond 65, if both the worker and his employer share this wish, the ministry of Social Affairs indicated. However, there are many cultural obstructions, e.g. a negative image, because many people think over 65s shouldnt work. The cabinet also said it will investigate if the compulsory salary pay-out during two years of illness for workers can be limited for over 65s. This is a response to the oft-cited objection to the obligation by employers. The announced information campaign will focus on the legal position of workers of over 65. Both employers and workers must think of different conditions, and a more tailor-made contract, the ministry explained. The governments efforts to increase labour participation should however prioritise the age group of 55 to 65, the cabinet stressed. This partly as a stimulus for over 65s to keep on working. For the next five years a growing labour participation of the age group of 60 to 64 is crucial, it added. The cabinet said there is no indication that increased numbers of over 65s will substantially compete with younger employees. It also stated that it is opposed to individuals deciding at which age their state pension AOW now at 65 will start. According to the cabinet, an increasing number of elderly wish to continue working after 65. In 2004, 83,000 over 65s mainly self-employed workers, migrants and women returners - were working beyond their official retirement age. The Netherlands is one of the EU countries with the highest labour participation of men under 60. The official retirement age is 65, but the effective retirement age is 61 on average.
>There was a great article in the latest Fortune magazine where Bill Gates gives us an overview of how he manages his work life in this world of overload. I think there are some great lessons for those of us being challenged by information overload and working in a virtual community. Being able to focus in the clutter and taking time out to think through important issues are two that come to mind when I read the article.
Read it here
I found an interesting article about people with skills, vision and passion ready to use their skills to help change society. To quote from the back of David Bornstein’s book called How to change the World we are challenged by ” What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are, the driven creative individuals who question the staus quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up and remake the world a better place. Read the article here.
I believe in all sphers of life we are going to see these passionate boomers using their skills and talents to bring about change to society. Social clubs, churches and organisations will have an overflow of willing skilled individuals wanting to stay involved and making a difference.
The first Baby Boomers will turn sixty this year and they will do what no other generation has done before them: Re-tyre.
There are a number of factors that are already causing futurists to look at the effects of this upcoming change. Many predict that it will bring about a societal change of Tsunami-like proportions. In America, 70 million Boomers will retire over the next twenty years. One of the factors that have changed the Boomer world is medical science. Many more people are living much longer. The generation behind the Boomers, the Xers, are not as large in number as their predecessors. In the States there are approximately 46 million in Generation X – 35% less than the Boomers. Continue reading ‘Retirement vs. Re-Tyrement’
This is a great article . Read it here.
The blurb says: “Globalisation has been a great liberator — but it also poses a threat to Western professionals”.
As a group some of us at TomorrowKnowledge are reading ” The World is Flat ” by Thomas Friedman. It is a book I recommend as a great read for any person who wants to have a clear understanding of why the world has changed so much. Do we have to wait for Potholes to appear in the road before we make the changes necesaary to fix the road?
I had a chat the other day to a company involved in the sale of new and resale units in Retirment Villages. They have about 150 of these Villages on their books in South Africa. He says the waiting list is long and the average time for the resale of a unit is ONE hour. Who would not choose to want to be involved in a market with this kind of return? Is the market ready for the retiring Baby Boomers?
Like in every other area of life I believe this generation will change the way we GROW older and buisness needs to watch for changing trends.
Today, your office headquarters could be an impressive office block, your humble study or the local deli. Because the modern office environment has changed (and continues to transform even while you read this), new work opportunities have arisen. Together with these opportunities several prerequisite changes have come to the forefront; changes which are essential if we are to ensure a successful outcome for both the worker and employer in the new millennium. Trying to play by the ‚old rules‛ will not work or be much fun in the 21st-century office where men and women will face challenges that others before them never even contemplated.
But what has wrought this change of which I speak? Technology. The world changes as fast as technology advances. It is technology that enables us to understand the global picture in an instant. It is technology that keeps us informed on the minute, every minute. The hour does not dictate when we will hear about an important or catastrophic event. We do not rely on traditional media any longer to report an incident on the radio or evening news. We can search for breaking news on the Internet ourselves, or receive important information on our cell in the form of text, voice or picture.
Continue reading ‘The Game of Snakes and Ladders in the 21st-Century’
The other day someone commented that they were worried about me because all I seem to do is work. I don’t see it like that at all. I think I do understand the concept and have a definite control over what I do . I do work from a virtual office and maybe that does change the hours that I work compared to others. The stage of life that I am in allows me different options that others may not have at present.
That got me thinking………
How do we define Work Life balance today?
Continue reading ‘Work/Life Balance - So what does that mean in this fast moving world we live in?’
I attended a breakfast this morning where Sue Adkins an international expert on Cause Related Marketing did a presentation .
See more about her book at Kalahari.net or Amazon.com ISBN 0 7506 4481 8
What struck me was how technology is changing the global consumer . We are now able to view and be made aware of bad behaviour by corporates far away from their consumer base through the internet, television, blog sites, cellphone cameras etc. The statement that who you are will be much more important that what you sell is being defined through a new set of rules that cannot be controlled by governments or the mighty corporates of the past.
This is a great read for anyone interested in making a difference in the 21st century enviroment.
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I have been privileged in the last 2 weeks to attend two functions that have pulled at my hearts strings. First a function at GIBS where a group of interested social entrepreneurs came together to listen to the stories of two great people. The second fuction was the induction of new Ashoka members. My favourite definition of a social entrepreneur is A PERSON WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT CHANGE TO THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND MONEY IS NOT THEIR DRIVING OBJECT. What makes these people do what they do against the tide and great odds. Some leave behind careers with promise. All are great leaders and have heart space that makes the room feel their passion. What we would do for more leaders like this in the business world.They are innovative and not scared to stand on their beliefs.
The sadness for me is that for us as South Africans these stories do not make the media and very few people are even aware of these people.
Continue reading ‘Social Entrepreneurs can teach us about the Connection Economy’
I attended a talk run by GIBS Forum on Thursday. The speaker was Ron McMillan and his subject was Crucial Conversations.This forum was so over booked that they moved it to a hotel at the last minute due to numbers who attended. I arrived early and scanned the table with names of delegates - many influential business people had made the effort to attend. There were more than 400 people at the event. So why is this topic so hot? Is this a skill we all battle with? Ron discussed the tools that can change the direction of a conversation if we are skilled and willing to want win win situations in all enviroments where we inter act.
I have purchased the book Crucial Conversations - Tools for talking when stakes are high (purchase at Amazon.com or kalahari.net). Published by McGraw Hill
Conversations, Dialogue, Storytelling,Connecting………the tools for leaders of the future
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