I want you to look at that picture carefully and ask yourself, what do you see on the left versus what do you see on the right. Do you know what I see? On the left, I see an attractive young man. On the right? An even more attractive older man. Now, why is it I find the man on the right so much more attractive? I'll tell you what it is...it's age. Look at his face...the wrinkles, the gray hair -- even the scruffy beard. You can tell that he has journeyed through life and he has accumulated knowledge. To me, that is incredibly attractive. For this article, I refer to people in my age group and older as seniors. What I am really talking about is the over-50 set.
You see, in today's society, we are so ready to dispose of our seniors. Instead of seeing them for the wealth of knowledge and experience they have accumulated, we see them as "has-beens". As an incredibly vital and vibrant senior, I resent that stereotype. I have a Master's degree, a good job AND fantastic friends. I work hard but I also play hard!
I cannot tell you how many stories I have heard of seniors being pushed out of their jobs. They are put under such enormous stress that they finally cry, "Uncle" and leave. Or they are handed a pink slip and laid off. These are people who have 30 and 40 years or more of experience at their jobs. Yet, they have become expendable. Why? Because they are compensated for their knowledge. In essence, they are costing the company too much money to keep. They can hire two 25-year-olds for the price of one of them. A fair exchange? All I know is that I remember 25 and I lacked a lot of experience and knowledge although I did have a lot of energy.
So what sparked me to talk about ageism in America today? I saw the movie "The Intern" over the week-end. It is a great film, and I won't spoil anything but suffice it to say, it did indeed speak to ageism. I am hoping that it will send a message to those large corporations who think life ends at 50 or 60. Truth is, older people have a great work ethic, are teeming with knowledge and can problem-solve and multi-task like the next guy. Yes, we may be a little short in the technology department but we grew up in the days of slide rules. (hint: Think abacus for us baby-boomers!)
So, next time you managers think, gee Mr. X is costing us way too much money, I'd first ask you to consider what Mr. X is bringing to the table? Does he have great customer service skills? Is his salary justified by the revenues he brings to the company? How is his company loyalty? Why has he worked for you the past 30 or 40 years? There must be a reason. If he was doing a terrible job, he wouldn't have lasted! And don't kid yourselves, when they are let go? They know the "why".
And as for them finding new employment? After 50, NOBODY wants you! So, they have to flounder for a good 15 years and live off their pension until Social Security kicks in. Hopefully, illness will not eat it up so that they have to declare bankruptcy because they can't pay their medical bills But hey, that's their problem right? Oh, and if by chance they manage to stay healthy, then they can always collect Social Security at age 67. By that time, they should have a fixed income of maybe $1500 a month. You try living on that!
I hope that this has made at least one manager or two rethink their position on older people. I know that this situation has impacted many of my friends. Great people, vibrant, smart people who have made a difference in not just the corporate world, but the world in general. How many of you are fortunate to have those people on staff? If you do, you better hang onto them...they are rare indeed!
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