Helping Mid-Life Employees Find Meaning © 2004
Craig Nathanson
People work to live, but most also live to work. A study on the meaning of work conducted back in 1987 revealed a strong attachment to work as a way of life. The study found that 86 percent of people would continue working even if they had enough money never to work another day. There could be no better indication that work is not simply a matter of putting food on the table, but is core to the being of most adults.
Adults in mid-life in particular often find this sense of
work as a central component of their lives under direct assault
from a business culture that undervalues personal fulfillment
as an essential driver of productivity.
I believe the next wave of workforce management for enlightened
corporations will be to focus on “softer” indicators
of productivity. Fulfillment, meaning, satisfaction, and that
intangible sense that the job is about more than a paycheck
are what will make all workers, in particular those in mid-life,
more productive.
The alternative to paying attention to these issues is to suffer high levels of attrition among mid-life workers. Some corporations take the short-sighted view that “experienced worker” is a euphemism for “highly compensated” and therefore see little reason to make any effort to retain older employees. Enlightened organizations understand that this is a penny wise and pound foolish approach.
Mid-career, mid-life employees are often among the most productive,
skilled and dedicated in an organization. And as compensation
plans tend to be more variable and results-oriented than in
the past, it is less of a concern that more tenured employees
earn more money just because they have been with the organization
longer.
As everyone knows, the cost of retaining an employee is
considerably lower than the cost of hiring and training his
or her replacement.
Retention programs have tended to focus on tangible rewards.
Bonuses, tuition assistance, flexible working hours, concierge
services, even free gourmet coffee!
What has not been central to retention strategies is the
soul of the mid-life, mid-career employee. So what practical
measures can corporate HR and line managers take to nourish
the souls of their most important employees?
Encourage employees to explore their inner needs.
Many mid-life employees are essentially satisfied with their
work. They are challenged, never bored, and believe they are
putting their skills to good use. Yet they may not be sufficiently
introspective to understand whether they are building the
deep level of career and life satisfaction required for true
contentment. The challenge here is that such employees are
just one wake up call away from questioning everything in
their lives. Consider balance, introspection, exploration
of different desires and interests, many of which are not
work-related, a kind of preventive medicine for the soul.
Provide a safe environment to express personal needs.
The fear of projecting weakness is a powerful undercurrent
in corporate culture. Organizations that provide a safe environment
to express fear and doubt and explore ways to address these
concerns will defuse many potential retention challenges among
employees who fear reprisal if they confide a desire to achieve
more work-family balance, take off time to pursue a personal
interest or take a new direction in their careers. Organizations
need to make their employees feel comfortable to ask questions,
confide doubts or concerns. More critically, organizations
need to demonstrate they will treat these confidences appropriately
and direct them toward a higher level of employee satisfaction,
rather than use them as “ammunition” at the next
performance review.
Make “renewal” a job requirement.
This may seem counter-intuitive. Force employees to take
time off every so often to walk barefoot through the park.
Or more substantively, strongly encourage them to pursue outside
interests. Ask yourself if there is a member of your staff
that sings in cabarets on the weekends. Was this information
volunteered? Or did management find out by happenstance? Was
management’s reaction to reserve a table at the next
performance or have a hallway meeting to question whether
this employee valued lounge singing more than her job?
Think of it this way. If the cabaret singer feels comfortable pursuing her avocation, she is less likely to regard work as a burden that keeps her from pursuing a personal passion. Encourage that pursuit, and it is much less likely the two activities will come into conflict.
Taking an intangible like personal fulfillment and turning
it into a job benefit is a significant challenge. It is much
easier to give time, money or prizes. But the benefits of
tangible rewards last only as long as the money, or the time,
or the novelty of the prize. Encouraging the deeper personal
satisfaction of key employees offers a bigger and longer lasting
pay off.
Craig Nathanson is the author of P Is For Perfect: Your Perfect
Vocational Day and a coaching expert who works with people
over forty. Craig’s new E-book, Discover and live your
passion 365 days a year is a workshop in a box designed to
help busy adults go insane with their work. Craig’s
systematic approach, the trademark "Ten P" process,’’
helps people break free and move toward the work they love.
Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com
where you can take a class, get more ideas through Craig Nathanson’s
books and CD’s, get some private coaching over the phone
or read other stories of mid-life change and renewal.
Craig lives and works in Petaluma, California. His office
is located atP.O Box 2823, Petaluma Ca, 94953. You can reach
him at 707-775-4020 or at craig@thevocationalcoach.com.
return to index |
