Helping Mid-Life Employees Find Meaning Written by Craig Nathanson
People work to live, but most also live to work. A study on 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 table, but is core to 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 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 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 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 most productive, skilled and dedicated in an organization. And as compensation plans tend to be more variable and results-oriented than in past, it is less of a concern that more tenured employees earn more money just because they have been with organization longer. As everyone knows, cost of retaining an employee is considerably lower than 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 soul of mid-life, mid-career employee. So what practical measures can corporate HR and line managers take to nourish 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 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 soul.
| | Become a Babe Magnet without Surgery or Drugs!Written by Kathryn Lord
"I'd like to find a partner who dances. Do you?" my profile on Match.com asked. My now-husband Drew emailed that he was willing to take lessons, and that was enough for me. Non-dancer Drew’s courage to put himself out on dance floor and to show in lesson after lesson his amateur status was truly impressive. We took private dance instruction for a year before our wedding, and as a result, got around dance floor quite gracefully at our reception. Women are dying to dance. Any man who can ask a woman to dance, then take charge of what happens on floor and move relatively smoothly to music, has enormous appeal. Fat or skinny, short, tall, or not even close to attractive, even old, old, old, a man who is comfortable on dance floor has his pick of ladies. For whatever reason, dancing intoxicates. Especially women. Few men can really dance, and those guys are on floor constantly. Some men think they can dance and do get up, ask ladies, and have fun. But at least half men sit or stand uncomfortably on sidelines with all women who wish to be on dance floor. We women don't get to dance nearly as much as we'd like to, even ladies who are good dancers. There aren't enough dancing men to go around. You can almost feel yearning, sadness, and disappointment in those women and between those non-dancing couples. And non-dancing guys? Pathetic. I personally know three women close to my age who met their now - spouses on dance floor, and those ladies were great catches! Gentlemen and ladies, there's a message here. Guys: 1. Take lessons and learn how to dance. Leading well takes skill, but if Drew could learn how, so can you.
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