Constructive Career Development Conversations
Leadership + Management
Workplace conversations
Careers
Bite size
Virtual
- Approach the topic of career development with your team members in a resource-based and timely manner
- Prepare for and have effective and collaborative conversations about people’s development and career plans
- Handle challenges that may occur during these conversations
- Bring out the best from each team member for achieving your shared goals
How do you deal with someone who’s about to retire?’
A participant asked us this during our recent careers workshop.
The assumption was that this person would have no interest in the remains of their career or indeed any further development. There’d be little for their manager or coach to address beyond a general wind-down of pension, exit-interview and leaving gift.
Not so fast! The group realised:
- What about the legacy this person might want to leave behind, reflecting their hard work and contributions?
- Does the organisation want all of their knowledge and experience to walk out the door with them before they impart this to others?
- What about making the best of the time they do still have? We know that much can happen in even a few turbulent months.
- What else do they want to do after they leave: consultant, mentor, volunteer or non-executive director?
The important point was recognising that wherever people are in their career lifecycle, they may have a lot to offer – and that we should check out our assumptions before acting on them.
When someone is close to retirement, we might take a coaching approach asking, ‘When you look back on your last day here, how will you know you’ve used the time well?’
Leaving an organisation may not mean they are leaving the workforce entirely. My friend’s dad spent his last year of employment helping set up a knowledge management system. The tech skills he gained were invaluable in his new venture of importing and selling garden furniture online.
When somebody says they’re retiring, rather than offering them a sun lounger, how about we invite them to redesign the landscape with us?