This piece resonates strongly with what I’ve seen advising senior professionals. Too often, older employees are treated as liabilities rather than carriers of judgment, networks, and institutional knowledge. Recognizing the “experience dividend” isn’t just fair—it’s a strategic advantage.
From your perspective, how could your organization start valuing the insights of its more seasoned team members without it feeling tokenistic?
Thanks, Charles. There are some structural changes that need to occur in the way we operate our organizations, particularly from the perspectives of longevity (being more age-positive and age-inclusive in our job descriptions, communications, overall culture, etc.), wisdom capture and sharing (how apprenticeships, mentoring, wisdom circles, etc. are treated as mission-critical systemic parts of the organization) and a complete rethink on careers (where we allow people of all ages, with a much better focus on the Rubies, to work differently, be it gigs, rotations, short-term contracts, phased-out retirement options, etc.) It's all doable, but it is going to take some rewiring, rethinking, and reminding.
This was a great article! It reminded me of another recent article, describing how Italy is considering this dynamic. In Italy, the "umarell" are those older men who stand at construction sites, hands behind their backs, watching closely and offering commentary. It’s usually seen as humorous. But recently, the city of Turin proposed something surprising: what if these men—many with decades of experience—were actually invited to contribute? To help monitor projects, notice problems, and offer insight? https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/turin-wants-to-put-the-umarell-to-work.html
This piece resonates strongly with what I’ve seen advising senior professionals. Too often, older employees are treated as liabilities rather than carriers of judgment, networks, and institutional knowledge. Recognizing the “experience dividend” isn’t just fair—it’s a strategic advantage.
From your perspective, how could your organization start valuing the insights of its more seasoned team members without it feeling tokenistic?
Thanks, Charles. There are some structural changes that need to occur in the way we operate our organizations, particularly from the perspectives of longevity (being more age-positive and age-inclusive in our job descriptions, communications, overall culture, etc.), wisdom capture and sharing (how apprenticeships, mentoring, wisdom circles, etc. are treated as mission-critical systemic parts of the organization) and a complete rethink on careers (where we allow people of all ages, with a much better focus on the Rubies, to work differently, be it gigs, rotations, short-term contracts, phased-out retirement options, etc.) It's all doable, but it is going to take some rewiring, rethinking, and reminding.
This was a great article! It reminded me of another recent article, describing how Italy is considering this dynamic. In Italy, the "umarell" are those older men who stand at construction sites, hands behind their backs, watching closely and offering commentary. It’s usually seen as humorous. But recently, the city of Turin proposed something surprising: what if these men—many with decades of experience—were actually invited to contribute? To help monitor projects, notice problems, and offer insight? https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/turin-wants-to-put-the-umarell-to-work.html
I did see this, and thought it was so spot on with what I refer to as the "Rubies" in our society.
Thank you, Michael. You've captured the plot lines beautifully. If anyone has a question, feel free to chime in here - I'd be glad to answer.
Thank you for a wonderful analysis and a pragmatic way forward.