Middle Age Renewal Blog

A few years back, prior to my mid-life renewal, I dreamed one night I had died and gone to hell–at least I think it was hell, it certainly was not heaven! The dream was deeply depressing but not terrifying. I did not encounter fire and brimstone. I did not discover lost souls crying out in agony or observe Satan running around with a pitchfork. Instead, I simply was forced to continue my then-current daily experience through all eternity.

In my dream I realized that I was dead but observed no real change from when I was alive. I faced the same daily workplace deadlines and stess that I had been living under for years. Family finances remained uncertain. Tension filled the air. My spouse and I took no vacations or even restful weekend retreats. Worst of all, the promise of a brighter tomorrow was gone forever.

Because I did not admire the daily tasks I performed, I experienced no joy and saw absolutely no reason to continue to exist–but I had no choice. I found myself faced with the same-old same-old for the rest of time.

Thankfully, I woke up the next morning and discovered I had gone to hell on a visitor’s pass. When I awoke I knew it was time for a change! Our Creator intends for every one of us to experience a joy-filled, purposeful existence, both before and after death. If my then-current middle age career and lifestyle had become my role model for hell, I needed to abandon my present patterns of living sooner rather than later.

If you are past forty and less than fully satisfied with your life today, I suggest you don’t wait for a similar nightmare to spur you into action. Today, not tomorrow, is the appropriate moment to begin positive transformation of your life.  Bad things sometimes happen to good people as well as bad, but no one else in the world can force you to harbor negative emotions over time unless you let them. No one else in the world can take full control over your destiny. When you think about it, there is absolutely no valid reason for you to abandon hope and to remain miserable and unfulfilled!

I urge you to envsion success but not to count upon unrealistic expectations. Don’t lull yourself into the “future trap” of believing that somehow against all odds things will get better on their own as time goes by. Nine times out of ten, your life will not improve dramatically any time soon without conscious personal intervention. You immediate task is to thoughtfully define in vivid detail your very own bright future.  Your next steps are to visualize daily accomplishment of your target and to begin thinking and behaving like the solid winner you intend to be. Once emotions turn positive and a confident self-image becomes crystal clear, your mind will take over and will formulate solid plans to complete your journey to a positive tomorrow. You will become that joyful, accomplishment-filled person God intended you to be!  

Need guidance? We can help–contact me at roy@middleagerenewal.com or obtain our free MIDDLE AGE RENEWAL TRAINING Mini-Course E-Book by typing in: http://bit.ly/middleagerenewal.     

“I’m going to die if Barack Obama is not reelected in 2012!” That is what a staunch Democratic supporter friend told my wife a few weeks ago. If she had said this to me, my reaction would have been, “Maybe so, maybe not.” (On the one hand, the lady is in her seventies; on the other hand, she recently survived eight years of “W”.)

There is no guarantee any one of us will survive to the end of December, 2016 regardless of who is President–we could unintentionally step out in front of a truck tomorrow. Of more relevance is how joyful and productive our remaining years will be. I know a number of people who appear miserable in their forties and fifties. In contrast, I know a gentleman of 102 who joyfully pilots his personal skooter around the his assisted living retirement home, always with a smile on his face and a kind word for others.  This gentleman looks forward to tomorrow and doesn’t appear to worry about how many tomorrows he has left.

If you are like my wife’s friend, stop spending your days in front of TV news and begin to make positive plans for your little corner of the world. You and I have one vote each out of millions. Should you wish, you can become active in local Democrat or Republican politics and help get others out to vote. Beyond that, why should you stay awake at night worrying about world, national or even regional trends and events?  I don’t like the thought of Iran with nuclear weapons, but what can I do about it? Worrying about issues beyond our control produces needless stress which can indeed shorten our lives. Worse yet, we will be miserable during our remaining years on Earth!

If you must fret over the future, concentrate on issues at least partially under your control. In the first place, probably 80% of the bad things you anticipate never will occur. Of the remaining 20%, your presciption is positive advanced contingency planning: what steps will you take and how will you react to potential bad news? At all times, you must remain CEO of you; this means you anticipate both positive and negative future events, thoughtfully weigh all your options in advance then choose a preferred course of action should the worst occur.

Frankly, I don’t want to live that long if my future isn’t filled with joy and meaningful contributions to others. No matter how difficult our challenge, we don’t have to give into negative emotions.  In 1989, I battled a life-threatening cancerous tumor in my nasal cavity. Ultimately, I had to decide whether or not to undergo a high-risk operation near my brain.  As I look back now, I was more alive and positive back then weighing my options and receiving emotional support from loved ones than I have been at any time before or since. Although my future was highly uncertain, every day spent with my wife and children became a joy and blessing.

In similar fashion, my wife Gloria battled Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2006, I never had a doubt that her strong positive outlook on life would pull her through. Through months of chemotherapy and radiation, she remained active and involved; despite hair loss I doubt most people who saw her on the street or at social events even realized she was ill. Today, Gloria’s cancer is in remission and her health is excellent.

Bottom line, turn off that news channel and take the whole world off your shoulders! Instead, visualize a joyful and productive future for self and for those you love. Confront any challenges you do face head on with the energetic, creative outlook of  someone who controls his or her own destiny. If you can accomplish this, I promise that you will survive the 2012 election, whoever wins.    

Before every commercial flight, the pilot and co-pilot go through a comprehensive pre-flight checklist. The pilot will not take off until every single test indicates that the plane is ready for flight. In like manner, anyone contemplating a significant mid-life transition should perform a final checklist prior to springing into action.

Checklist Item 1–Have I Locked in a Realistic Target Vocation?
If currently employed, it is vitally important not to abandon a current income producing position until you evaluate every aspect of your alternative target vocation. Are you certain that you are now or can become qualfied to perform necessary job functions?
•Have I tested myself performing similar tasks? Am I good at them? Would someone pay me to perform them?
•Am I convinced beyond a doubt that I wish to perform my dream vocation full or part-time over the next 10 to 20 years?
•Have I anticipated every downside pitfall? Can I overcome potential roadblocks?
•Am I ready to be my own boss? Have I anticipated the long hours to get started? Can I accept a volatile current income stream and an uncertain payoff down the line?

Checklist Item 2–Have I Completed a Realistic Transition Budget?
If your transition involves financial risk, you will need to lock in interim financing to pay the bills and meet potential unanticipated challenges:
•For those planning early retirement, an extended bear market which diminishes the value of the retirement nest egg.
•For those seeking alternative employment, a frustrating job search which could extend over several months, even years.
•For those launching or purchasing a new business, hidden expenses like legal and accounting fees, employee recruitement, rental deposit and furnishing an office.
•For the soon-to-be self employed, the cost of health and dental insurance and other benefits for self, family and prospective employees.

Checklist Item 3–Do I Have Adequate Plans to Recruit Venture Partners and Build Circles of Cooperation?
Don’t count on a significant revenue stream at the start. Can you afford to finance start-up (or buy an existing business) and pay needed employees on your own? If not, you will need to seek out compatable business or investment partners prior to launch. Are you willing to share with others both the risk and reward? Are others willing to share the risk with you? Whether you goal is to buy an existing business, start up a new business, change jobs or launch a new career, you will need to map out an aggressive personal marketing campaign for a single product: you. Are you prepared mentally and emotionally to sell your value to those who matter? Can you package yourself for sale?

Checklist Item 4–Have I Established Firm Target Dates for Accomplishment of Each Transition Objective?
This item is perhaps the ingredient most essential to successful mid-life transition. If you are dead serious about changing one or more aspects of your life, I suggest you locate a clean calendar, day planner or notebook page on your computer which covers the next 6 to 12 months. Fill in target start and completion dates for each essential phase of your transition. Once completed, do not set the calendar aside to collect dust! At least once every 2 weeks, you will need to record progress and to reschedule dates for any targets that were missed. By the way, I suggest you share your calendar with family, closest friends and colleagues. It will help you keep on target if you have to explain to others missed deadlines and plans to catch up.

Checklist Item 5–Have I Lined Up Emotional Support from Significant Others?
It will prove extremely difficult to revive and sustain positive emotions during transition without active encouragement and cooperation from spouse, offspring and significant others. Obtain agreement in advance regarding transition budget and any required shared sacrifice. Ask family members and closest friends to monitor and critique your transition efforts. Better yet, ask them to join you in the renewal adventure. Be certain to address this most critical issue in advance to ensure your spouse and children will remain supportive if and when you ask them to sacrifice along with you?

Checlist Item 6–Have I Resolved Pressing Ancillary Issues?
Pressing challenges to consider and resolve in advance include the following:
•Can I extend my present family health insurance or purchase alternative coverage at an affordable price?
•What portion of my pension is accrued? How much will I forfeit if I quit my job now?
•Will transition require sale of our home and/or relocation? Can we sell it for a decent price in today’s market?
•If we must relocate, do we have a choice of locations? Can we agree upon one?
•If I quit my job, will we still have enough to send our kids to college?
•Is my spouse willing to resign his or her position to follow me to a new geographic location? If not, are we prepared to accept long-distance weekend commutes?
•Should my spouse and I divorce, how will we divide up the assets?

Checklist Item 7–Am I Prepared Mentally and Emotionally for the Targeted Next Stage of My Life?
This checklist item is strictly personal. You must confirm beyond all doubt that you are ready to seek out life’s next stage:
•Am I willing to work long hours, face uncertain compensation and substantial financial risk to change job or career or launch my own business?
•Am I genuinely ready to retire? Will I have enough to do? Can I remain productive and serve others and joyfully living out the remainder of my life?
•Am I prepared emotionally for the rigors of extended job search? Can I handle rejection? Am I willing to work for less in order to truly enjoy my hours on the job?
•If I must relocate, will I regret deeply the loss of face-to-face contact with cherished friends and members of my extended family? Will I miss my church, social clubs and civic organizations? Will I poignantly long for familiar locations, relationships and routines?
•If plans include divorce or separation, am I 100% convinced that our marriage is beyond repair? Does my spouse agree? Am I prepared emotionally to be single again? Will both my spouse and I benefit from living apart? How about the children?

Checklist Completed–Ready for Flight. Once completed, pilots are confident their aircraft is ready for flight to its intended destination. If one or more gages fail, the pilot will not take off until every item is checked out and repaired. In similar fashion, should one or more warning lights click on in your brain, this may indicate the need for additional pre-launch preparation. Worst case, you may need to modify, scale back or delay one or more aspects of your targeted life change while resolutely refusing to abandon your commitment to a joyful and productive future. Keep in mind that it is easier to make necessary modifications before your flight to tomorrow leaves the ground.

Once all seven checklist items check out, you are free to abandon once and for ever any fear of failure. Now take off to the productive, joy-filled life you richly deserve! Remember. you are the confident chief pilot of your personal destiny and a safe flight is assured.

I would love to learn of other checklist items you considered prior to your mid-life transition. Also, inform me of your success and/or unresolved challenges. Please reply to this blog or e-mail me at roy@middleagerenewal.com.

I’m certain you’ve heard about the seven government employees in Schenectady, NY who are splitting a $319 million Mega Million Lottery prize. You may judge me crazy, but I thank God it wasn’t me who won. Cuss me out if you must but I think it’s best that you didn’t win the prize either. I cite three common-sense maxims as old as human history but as fresh as the morning sun:

•A reward most cherished is one fully earned, not one granted, won or inherited.
•As you and I look back, aren’t our fondest memories the anticipation, plenning and striving for worthwhile goals rather than actual goal accomplishment?
•A future absent clearly defined goals and inspiration for tomorrow really is no life at all.

You will never gain lifelong satisfaction with the sole objective of accumulating wealth. The only true and lasting prize from winning life’s financial lottery is peace of mind and the freedom to choose. For most of us, goofing off full time for the next 30 to 40 years simply will not cut it! A key quality-of-life issue confronting wealthy individuals is how well they choose to spend their time.

I believe you and I can establish a lottery-winner’s mentality without winning a dime! Are you aware of the universal law of attraction? First visualize those circumstances you most cherish in life and turn to God and the universal consciousness to help convert your dreams into reality. As a start, before returning to your normal daily routine take a few moments to infuse upon your subconscious mind two guiding principles:

1.Yes I did win life’s lottery–emotionally. I have taken control of my future and have appointed myself CEO of me. I have absolutely no doubt that over the coming months and years I will accomplish every single life objective truly important to me.
2.I will make any difficult financial and emotional sacrifices up front. These short-term sacrifices will buy me a life-long lottery winner’s mentality! Once committed to my subconscous mind, I will pursue my dreams as though I had won the lottery.
Next to good health and loving relationships, there are two treasures above all others: a life in financial and emotional balance and enjoyment of every aspect of daily living, including “work.” It is an unfortunate and misleading heresy to assume that no one will pay us to have fun, so long as an activity we enjoy contributes benefit to others. What do you truly want to do with your productive hours? How best can you employ your talents in enjoyable service to others?

Once a positive vision of your future is firmly entrenched in your subconscoius mind, you will begin thinking and acting like the successful, self-assured person you were intended to be all along. You will have accomplished a genuine lottery winner’s mentality. You will be fully prepared to venture outside previous comfort zones to create your own destiny. Now go for it!

Should you have difficulty implanting a success-oriented mentality, I highly recommend the book or movie The Secret on the law of attraction. To learn more about a lottery winner’s mentality along with a comprehensive step-by-step pathway to mid-life renewal, please review my book, A Mid-Life Challenge–Wake Up! which is previewed on our website, www.middleagerenewal.com.

Last week I offered advice to middle-aged husbands–now it’s the wife’s turn. Ladies, do you seek to restore positive emotions and to scale fresh new mid-life horizons? Are you plagued by a husband who considers himself the primary bread winner with a built-in prerogative to relax or pursue personal interests at night and on weekends leving you with the bulk of domestic and child-rearing responsibilities? You love your husband and want him to renew with along you but no longer are you willing to accept a subservient role.

I know we husbands often fail to acknowledge you as a full and equal partner, take you for granted and can be a royal pain in the rear but please do not attempt to reform us overnight. Especially, I beg you to be beware of constant nagging! I know the man you married may not fit your current image of the perfect husband but please don’t try to blame him for everything wrong in your life today. You will never attain ideal life or marital balance by continually sparring with your chosen life partner.

Your initial step is to define for yourself clear and precise personal, career and relationship goals. These are not necessarily what your husband or anyone else says they should be. Exactly what do you want out of the remainder your days? Your next task is to share those goals with your husband in a loving, non-threatening, give-and-take exchange of ideas. As you descibe your aspirations, you must make it clear that you will never attain your goals without your husband’s unqualified support, including willingness to share mind-numbing domestic and child-rearing tasks. Even better, ask your husband to propose his own creative ideas which can help ease your burden.

As a husband myself, I can assure you that I would not remain fulfilled for long were my wife to sacrifice all of her aspirations for my benefit. Because I love and admire my wife, I naturally seek to acknowledge her desires and to make personal sacrifices on her behalf.

As a twenty-first century wife, your best bet is to cease all nagging and complaining and to begin this very day conducting yourself as a positively focused, fully equal life partner. You can demonstrate personal initiative in making those essential career and life-style decisions which should have been yours all along. Once you begin sharing your career goals and dreams and routinely behaving in a forceful yet compassionate manner your husband will catch on. Should he steadfastly refuse to adapt, we all know that women today have a wide variety of career and relationship choices.

I dedicate several chapters of my recent book, A Mid-Life Challenge, Wake Up!, to evaluating and improving long-established martital and family relationsips. I would love to hear from some wives: what steps have you taken to create a loving partnership in your marriage? Please e-mail your response to roy@middleagerenewal.com.

Roughly three-fourths of all divorce actions in the USA are initiated by wives–ever wonder why? Numerous studies demonstrate that married men tend to live longer, earn more money and have lower rates of clinical depression, alcoholism and substance abuse than single males but these same trends do not hold true for married women. What’s going on here?

I challenge you to answer this question: If you have been married to the same woman for more than a few years, do you demand more from your spouse than you are willing to give back in return? The days are long past when a woman defined success mostly by how “well” she married. Although certain women still choose child nurturing and homemaking as a primary vocation, many more seek to pursue a career outside the home with the same fire and intensity as their husbands. As twenty-first century husbands and fathers, are you and I prepared to make the same personal sacrifices that we expect from our wives?

Is your wife a true and equal domestic “partner? If she has a full-time job outside the home, do you share fifty/fifty in routine domestic chores? Do you cook, shop for groceries, clean house and do laundry? Do you routinely assume an active role in nurturing young children or guiding and disciplining adolescents? I trust you do not spend every evening watching TV or weekends fishing or golfing while your wife routinely logs long hours as an unpaid nanny or household domestic.

As your first step to a mutually gratifying and joyful mid-life marriage partnership,
challenge yourself to answer four questions:

1) Do I bring as much loving support to my wife as I expect to receive from her?

2) In all honesty, would my wife’s daily experience be better or wlorse were I not around?

3) Am I truly supportive of my wife’s vocation? Am I willing to sacrifice personal ambitions
to advance her career?

4) Am I sincere in helping to relieve my wife’s personal stress? Without being asked, do
I routinely pitch in to help with routine household tasks?

To accomplish a renewed, happy-ever-after marriage in your middle years and beyond, you will need to elevate your wife to a full and equal partner in your joint venture through life. For a moment, assume your wife’s viewpoint: Would you be content in your marriage today if your two roles were reversed? Next, imagine the ideal soul mate for your wife this very day given her talents, personality, ambitions and life goals. How do you measure up? Realistically, can you bring yourself closer to this ideal? Do you sincerly want to change? For the next day or two, prectice making your wife the sole center of your attention with no agenda of your own. Do you sincerely commit to the premise that your wife’s aspirations and enjoyment of life are every bit as important as your own?

If you are like me, you have approximately 78 hours of free time per week, most of which will be spent in the presence of your spouse. No matter how satisfying your vocation, hobbies and circle of friends, you will not sustain a joyful renewed mid-life experence over time while your wife remains unhappy, unfulfilled and stressed out. Just as water in connected tanks settles to a common level, your spirit will be pulled down. Also, please remember that your wife is the one person to whom you have committed your life so it makes absolutely no sense to deny her your consistent warm loving attention.

The author of this article, mid-life counselor and consultant Roy Richards, writes in detail about restoring and enhancing spousal and family relationships in his book, A Mid-Life Challenge–Wake Up! For a preview of this book or to communicate with Roy please visit our web site:

www.middleagerenewal.com

Is your business or not-for-profit enterprise still lagging in this early stage of economic recovery? Undoubtedly like most, your company is populated by two distinct groups: those who care deeply about collective outcome and those who do not. To revive your lagging enterprise you will need to expand the universe of emotionally committed leaders, employees and volunteers. Loyalty to self or to a particular boss, work team, profit center or functional discipline is not enough.

To light a fire under participants top to bottom, new and old, I recommend you adopt the following ten commandments of business revival:

Commandment #1–Promote Collective Renewal as a Project of Highest Priority. Ideally your CEO will launch revitalization personally by communicating urgency, presenting a leadership vision and challenging every employee to assume a vital role in recovery. The CEO’s message must be clear and concise: “Collective revitalization is our number one priority!

Commandment #2–Stick Your Neck Out and Commit to Employees. In exchange for unqualified support of recovery objectives, your executive team must genuinely promote personal career development. The key is to emphasize a mutual bond of commitment: “As your employer of choice, we pledge to commit 100% to your personal career advancement within the bounds of our resources and the best interests of our company as a whole.

Commandment #3–Build the Future Around Committed On-board Talent. As a leader seeking collective recovery, you will need to inspire and build upon your company’s most valuable asset–the cherished employees who have carried you up unitil today. In an interesting paradox, you may need to rewrite the script but you most certainly should not discard your most talented actors and actresses.

Commandment #4–Affirm or Refine Your Enterprise Mission Statement. Before attempting to launch revival, you will need to demonstrate to self and others a solid rationale for remaining in business. Does your current strategic vision need update to meet today’s competitive reality? A closely related issue is whether you have on board the human and physical resources and financial capacity needed to accomplish your mission as presently defined. Once core mission is refined, your next leadership challenge is to communicate a collective vision to crucial investors, employees, lenders, customers and suppliers: “We are proud of who we are and what we intend to accomplish; we have solid plans in place to service customers and to enhance long-term value of this enterprise.”

Commandment #5–Inspire Self-examination Beginning at the Top. If the CEO and senior executives fail to demonstrate unwaivering dedication to change, meaningful revitalization will not occur. Without exception, executives, managers and employees will benefit from a “mid-term” self-examination of on-the-job performance and personal and career aspirations. Businesses large and small provide fertile ground for formation of “renewal teams” where participants assist each other to restore positive emotions and map out an optimal collective future.

Commandment #6–Offer Every Employee the Opportunity to Expand Personal Franchise. Challenge participants top-to-bottom with meaningful responsibilities in support of worthy collective targets and present them the opportunity to help define those responsibilities. Once employees become convinced that they will play a vital role in recovery, most will respond with a surge in positive energy and emotions.

Commandment #7–Introduce Incentives which Inspire Thinking Outside the Lines.Effective company revival begins with a positive yet no-nonsence CEO call to action: “Status-quo no longer is good enough!” Astute change facilitators follow up by modifying performance, promotion and bonus criteria to specifically target and reward individual and collective initiative and experimentation.

Commandment #8–Expand and Sustain Circles of Cooperation Throughout and Beyond Your Enderprise. Any collection of individuals, formal or ad-hoc, has potential to solidify into a transitional or permanent “circle of cooperation.” Motivated, self-confident participants tend to seek out and interact effectively with similarly inspired colleagues. Formation of task forces or cross-functional special project teams presents an ideal opportunity to blend old ideas with new, integrate new employees and extend careers of previously uninspired veteran employees. In certain instances, circles of cooperation might be extended to include representatives of customers or suppliers.

Commendment #9–Provide Realistic Opportunities for Reward and Advancement. Given human nature, every employee will inquire silently or out loud, “How will this recovery initiative impact me? Will I wind up better or worse off than I am now?” To generate and sustain enthusiasm, change facilitators must demonstrate a clear and certain link between accomplishment of individual and collective targets and potential for career advancement and monetary reward.

Commandment #10–Sustain Recovery Momentum Through Periodic Progress Reviews. Collective progress reviews should be scheduled in advance at routine intervals following completion of each recovery phase. Except in dire emergencies, review sessions should never be cancelled or postponed indefinately. Periodic times out are essential to track progress and to facilitate mid-course corrections. Progress reviews and evaluations should extend down to front-line employees thoughout your company.

The bottom line: any leader seeking to revive a lagging enterprise must create and sustain an intentional atmosphere of accellerated obsolescence. Your competition will not stand still. Managers and employees at all levels must routinely seek out upgrade, innovation and expansion of boudaries. Product and service enhancements which are new and exciting today will appear “old hat” within a year. So what have you done for your customers lately?

To effectively counter loss of sustainable product differentiation, your only realistic success formula is to establish and build upon a unique relationship with a specifically targeted loyal customer base. In turn, mutual employee-customer satisfaction will only be accomplished through a cadre of inspired managers and employees, top to bottom, dedicated to anticipating and servicing customer demand.

To contact Roy Richards, author of this article or to preview his latest book on enterprise renewal, please visit our web site: www.middleagerenewal.com.

With recession-diminished retirement portfolios, seasoned mid-life employees are putting off retirement to age 66 or beyond. As a counter-trend, the first wave of experienced Baby Boom managers and executives are beginning to retire or be let go to be replaced by younger, less experienced first-timers promoted from the ranks. The end result is an increasing number of managers too young for wrinkles, bifocals and mid-life bulge bossing employees old enough to be their parents.

Amidst a tepid recovery and rising commodity prices, employers large and small are placing ever-increasing pressure on long-tenured employees to increase productivity and creativity. The obvious result is increased stress both for young managers and their aging subordinates. The tenured employee asks, “How can someone with so little on-the-job experience tell me what to do?” A young novice manager wonders, “Will a subodinate with 25 years in the business take me seriously? How can I authenticate my authority?”

As a long-serving representative of our graying North American workforce, I offer seven kernels of advise to young managers seeking to inspire older subordinates:

1. Tell them clearly what you want. Effective communication is an absolute necessity. The two of you do not always view the world from identical perspectives. Do not assume that because they have been arround for awhile, older employees automatically fathom precisely what you desire of them. Explain fully what you expect and seek a response before doling out work assignments. Older employees need to be kept informed of your company’s big picture. Ask for suggestions: tenured subodinates may be able to help.

2. Respect experience, both in the workplace and in life. The 55 year-old career homemaker seeking her first job outside the home has 30+ years of organizational, budgetary and human relations skills to contribute. Whatever the challenge, it is safe to assume that one or more of your senior subordinates has “been there, done that.”

3. Make your older emplooyees feel special. Remember they were passed over for the position you now hold. To overcome resentment, demonstrate time and again that sage veterans belong fully to the team. Sometimes all they need is a simple “thank you” for a job well done. At other times, ask for their input before an important decision is made. When asked, most will be honored to help train and mentor less-experinced colleagues but they must be recognized and compensated monetarily for their extra efforts.

4. Offer seasoned employees the training they need. Just because subordinates are over 40 does not mean they have no desire to learn new techniques, perfect new skills or explore freash horizons. Like younger colleagues, tenured subordinates need to remain abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies. Regardless of age, keeping employees up to date is well worth the expense.

5. Don’t lord it over seasoned subordinates that you are the boss. In all liklihood, your subordinates over 40 are accustomed to a traditional “command and control” environment; they needn’t be continually reminded that you are the one in charge. Most will respect and follow so long as you respect them and demonstrate competence and unquestionably ethical behavior.

6. Recognize that your tenured subordinates have invested many years in your company and have a lot to lose. Can you help confirm their overriding desire for job security? Can you assure them of adequate health insurance, retirement benefits and a positive work environment going forward? Nothing is certain but seasoned employees seek assurance of retainig their jobs so long as individual performance and overall company results remain positive.

7. Above all else, do not stereotype employees over 40 or assume that they are unable to adapt to change. Every subordinate of middle age and beyond is a unique, living and breathing human being, not a stereotypical “Baby Boomer.” More than a few are open to bold experimentation, sweeping new technologies and non-conventional organization structures. Ask them to propose radical new ideas and be certain to reward innovation.

As a young manager, consider yourself the untested rookie quarterback seeking to gain trust from your veteran linemen, receivers and running backs. You will inspire confidence not simply by barking out signals (orders) but by demonstrating effective leadership, calling the right plays, performing under pressure and sharing accolades with members of your team when a touchdown is scored. You will earn respect from colleagues and “fans” (stokholders, bosses, the Board of Directors) only by developing fellow team members and helping win games.

For more information on motivating veteran employees as well as general advice on reenergizing lagging companies, go to our website www,middleagerenewal.com and review Roy Richards’s book on company renewal, Wake Up Captain and Crew–Restart Your Engines.