What Happens when all the Adults Retire at Work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't seen this in my work. All I see are brilliant 30-45 year olds who are stuck under boomers and unable to move up. They are excellent middle managers right now and I think they'd be better senior managers than the current.

Actually I think you are skipping over the 45-55 managers who are Gen X. They are ready and more than qualified, but there's no where for them to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't seen this in my work. All I see are brilliant 30-45 year olds who are stuck under boomers and unable to move up. They are excellent middle managers right now and I think they'd be better senior managers than the current.

Actually I think you are skipping over the 45-55 managers who are Gen X. They are ready and more than qualified, but there's no where for them to go.

Careerist dilettantes. They’ve only been in their positions 5-10 years. What do they know?

—CEO at 30

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have had the same thought at my government agency.

I am fairly senior and eligible for full retirement. I have been mentoring people for years in my specialized area. It is not particularly technical, but to be good at it takes a number of years of experience. I am a go to person for many Gen X and millenials, not just for my area but for others as well because I have a wealth of experience I am willing to share.

My issue is that people above me seem to want to promote intensely careerist individuals who are essentially dilettantes in this area rather than the numerous experienced people who actually believe in the mission and value the institution's reputation over clawing to the top.

I don't understand this bent toward advancing the high school bullies and mean girls (invariably Gen Xers) over the more experienced Gen X and millenial adults except for a profound lack of insight at the top. I am holding out on retirement in the hopes I can steer things in a better direction.

As it is I feel like the boy with his finger in the dike and spend a huge amount of time covering up and smoothing over the mis-steps of the careerists. My normal work week has been 60 hours a week for a very long time, but this was not exhausting until patching things over became my main activity.

I am not optimistic this can be turned around and will leave if I see one too many insults to the reputation of the agency that I have gladly served for so many years.

At my agency the only advancement opportunities are into management, and a lot of our valued contributors either can't or don't want to manage people. So yes, they are being leapfrogged by younger people with broad but shallow experience who want to manage.

Based purely on your post, I'd encourage you to retire. You are not going to change how they advance people, and it's unclear why you want to cover for these "careerists" you dislike. The agency will be fine if you leave -- or not, which is its own satisfaction -- and you'll free up a spot for somebody else to grow into. Lack of room to promote promising young people is my biggest retention challenge as a manager.

[Anonymous]

Lack of promotable younger people is issue. I am once again running a ton of meetings today. Between school being off, Jewish Holiday and Indian holiday a very large percentage of folks under 45 disappeared today.

They look not to show up. In a crisis will these folks even show up? I did not set up the meetings but now I have to go as younger folks often are like Snowflakes in early spring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lack of promotable younger people is issue. I am once again running a ton of meetings today. Between school being off, Jewish Holiday and Indian holiday a very large percentage of folks under 45 disappeared today.

They look not to show up. In a crisis will these folks even show up? I did not set up the meetings but now I have to go as younger folks often are like Snowflakes in early spring

Wow, people aren’t allowed to observe their religious holidays anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lack of promotable younger people is issue. I am once again running a ton of meetings today. Between school being off, Jewish Holiday and Indian holiday a very large percentage of folks under 45 disappeared today.

They look not to show up. In a crisis will these folks even show up? I did not set up the meetings but now I have to go as younger folks often are like Snowflakes in early spring

Wow, people aren’t allowed to observe their religious holidays anymore?

I’m sure if it’s a Christian holiday then its fine!