October 2007

Change Is In The Air

Fall is here. And with it comes a time of change, preparation, and transition. Trees change color, the air feels and even smells different, kids are back in school, and end-of-the-year projects are on the front burner. We feel change all around us.

So What About Your Business Leadership?

This time of transition suggests an opportunity to look at your organization and evaluate the depth of talent or "bench strength" of your staff. You may decide to begin succession planning or just implement a more focused training and development program for your key associates. It is never too early to identify the experience and knowledge you need to bring into your company, and it is always a good investment to develop your existing team.

Boomer Transitions -- Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders

All of us have been hearing for years about the major shift that will occur as the Baby Boomers retire; and we are now in the early stages of that period, which will last for several years.

In past generations, the number of people ready to move up into the leadership roles and mid-level positions of companies equaled the number of people who were retiring; and in the case of Baby Boomers, those being promoted outnumbered those departing. Now, there are more people nearing retirement than those being readied to fill the vacancies.

Baby boomers have been staying on past normal retirement years because organizations have needed their institutional knowledge and experience. Having learned from these experiences, strategic organizations are transitioning people with knowledge and experience into mentoring roles well before their time for retirement, to fast-track the development of the next generation.

More on Change of Seasons

If you are interested in seasons of the year as a metaphor for changes throughout your life, the book Seasons of Change by Carol L. McClelland is thoughtful and well grounded. McClelland explores the purpose of every season, and helps readers assess what season or stage of development they are currently in. From there, she shows how understanding the impact of nature's seasons can be used to move toward the next level of spiritual and personal development. For example, McClelland writes that the signs of autumn are getting news of a change, feeling your feelings, waiting, and worrying. The tasks of autumn therefore are to acknowledge change, get support, create your own refuge, and review your options.

There is also a lot of inspirational and practical advice in this month's article "Set Yourself Up to Succeed This Season!" by Win Win Workplace consultant Wendy Phelps.

To your business and personal success,

Gail and Rick