Organizations need to have the right people in the right positions at the right time. The reality of an aging workforce creates challenges, especially with respect to the talent, knowledge, and leadership currently held by older workers. Developing strategies that engage seasoned workers is essential to business effectiveness in the future. Encore Life Planning can partner with your organization to develop effective strategies to promote employee engagement, recruitment, and retention of workers age 50+.
Working with Organizations - Approach
Each organization has it's own history, culture, and environment. Encore Life Planning partners with your organization to develop solutions that are customized to your organization's unique needs. We will start with best practices within and outside your organization, and customize options to your particular organization. We will work within your infrastructure to maximize positive outcomes for your organization. Services may include:
* Needs assessment and consultation * Training for supervisors and managers * Workshops for employees * Individual coaching and assessment for employees
Services for Individuals
Experienced professionals often benefit from purposefully planning the next phase of life. Work remains important to us throughout our lives, but the role work plays in our lives, and our priorities for what we want from work, often shift.
In fact, a recent study of experienced workers found that, as we progress in our careers, we become less interested in securing promotions, and more interested in work that fits with our values and talents, allows us to continue to learn and grow, and positions that offer increased flexibility and autonomy.*
Encore Life Planning can help experienced professionals clarify values and talents, and focus on meaningful changes to align work with ALL of life's priorities.
In addition, Encore Life Planning helps people plan for engagement into the retirement years. Individuals often underestimate the impact of retirement on their lives. Certainly, retirement offers a chance to finally have time for the things that you truly want to do. However, we don't often think about what we will miss about work, and the value that work brings to our lives. For some, the vision for how to spend time in retirement is clear, and there is much excitement about approaching retirement. For many, however, retirement looms as a time of uncertainty. This is especially true if work played a major role in your life. After a "honeymoon phase," retirement can be a time of turmoil as you redefine relationships, roles, and identity. Planning for this transition, by clarifying priorities and creating a vision for the next stage of your life, can shift the transition from one of fear to one of tremendous potential for fulfillment.
Working with Individuals - Approach
Encore Life Planning takes a holistic approach to life planning. Research overwhelmingly shows that healthy aging requires attention to mind, body, soul, and heart. Encore Life Planning builds on what we know about living full and purposeful lives at midlife and beyond. The result of coaching is an action plan that outlines ways to contribute, thrive, and connect with others in this exciting phase of your life. And, new ways to work, paid or unpaid, will be explored.
* Planning for how to spend your TIME and TALENT at this point in life. * Personalized assessment of key personality areas related to transition. * Clarification of legacy, meaning, and purpose at midlife and beyond. * Assistance with exploring meaningful career, volunteer, and leisure options. * Connection with resources to realize your dreams.
Services for Couples
Couples can greatly benefit from planning together for retirement. Couples often differ in their expectations for retirement. By jointly working through expectations and dreams, couples can develop a transition plan that honors the priorities of each member while exploring mutual goals and dreams.
Some issues that impact couples transition to retirement include: * Timing of retirement, which often does not occur at the same time for both partners. * Expectations for retirement, such as where to live, what to do, and priorities. * Togetherness versus alone time in retirement. * Attitudes and priorities about money. * Expectations for roles and responsibilities after retirement. * Contingency planning for the loss of one partner.
Working with Couples - Approach
Each member of a couple will undergo an assessment and visioning process to clarify personal goals and dreams. Together, common areas will be explored, and areas of difference will be identified. A joint vision plan will be developed. * Clarifying priorities for each person's vision for retirement. * Assessment of each person's personality areas related to retirement transition. * Joint planning for legacy priorities for the couple. * Exploring career, volunteer, and leisure pursuits, individually and as a couple. * Connection with resources.
* For a summary of the research related to developmental changes for workers, see Schultz, Olson & Wang (2011). Overqualified employees: Perspectives of older workers. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 4, 247-249.
Contact Kate Schaefers for more information. kate@kateschaefers.com www.encorelifeplanning.com