Baby Boomers Can Become a Coach and Mentor
Anna D. Banks, GCDF
July 28, 2007
76 million is the number of baby boomers today, and they represent a huge proportion of talent, knowledge, and years of experience. So with such qualities they qualify as successful mentors. The baby boomers born in the years from 1946 and 1964 are the youngest and have just turned 40, while older baby boomers have just turned 50. These boomers are seeking new avenues to work, and taking different roles in the world of business. They are taking up opportunities that enable them to work with younger employees and give back what they learnt, to their organizations. Studies have shown that baby boomers are enthusiastic of working in teams and believe in synergetic learning. Baby boomers skills can be best applied at mentoring, and this can be achieved only when the companies believe that mentoring is a part of an essential plan to retain, to increase recruiting and the knowledge and skills of the company workforce.
Today in the United States, studies have shown that organizations have huge volumes of their workforce ready to retire and are gearing up to hire younger workers and move them up towards to managerial positions. But, the business know-how of those in their twenties and those in their fifties are completely different. So it is best that the companies allow their experienced baby boomers, who have sound knowledge, influential networks, and business experience, to educate younger employees on how to focus on their career paths, handling frustrations, and to develop skills-based knowledge which helps in succeeding in the business world.
Some company examples where baby boomers acting as good coaches and mentors have been put into use are-
1. Lockheed-Martin Missiles & Fire Control uses inventive joint instruction activities to prepare mentors and mentees. Pairs do a range of trust-building exercises, including one with blindfolds in which mentors act as group guides the mentees in problem solving.
2. Technical University of Berlin and the European Academy for Women in Politics and Economics also has an innovative program dubbed as “Preparing Women to Lead”. In this program, the university graduates take part in internships in Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands. Then for the next three months the women are paired with exceptional female mentors who tutor them about the mentors’ expertise and management styles, organizational structures, decision making, and the everyday requirements of management.
3. Hewlett-Packard in their Roseville, California facility has a site-wide program that has approximately 100 pairs working together at any one time. Mentors and mentees both participate in separate half-day training workshops that use written guides, videotapes, and skill practice.
4. Even the U.S. Army-Air Force Exchange Service has started with the idea of mentoring groups. For a period of six months, six to eight mentees and three mentors meet every two weeks. Mentees spotlight on career growth, and also learn the details of how the organization works. Discretion is emphasized upon in such exchange services.
5. Canadian Centre for Management Development (CCMD) has an original leadership program for budding Public Service senior executives. The partakers in the program acquire their knowledge from a multi-faceted approach that includes mentors, executive advisors, personal coaches, small learning groups, individuals that have varied job experiences.
Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com, and maybe I'll feature them in a future article.
Read more articles by Anna D. Banks, GCDF go to: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewByAuthor.asp?authorID=1855.
Today in the United States, studies have shown that organizations have huge volumes of their workforce ready to retire and are gearing up to hire younger workers and move them up towards to managerial positions. But, the business know-how of those in their twenties and those in their fifties are completely different. So it is best that the companies allow their experienced baby boomers, who have sound knowledge, influential networks, and business experience, to educate younger employees on how to focus on their career paths, handling frustrations, and to develop skills-based knowledge which helps in succeeding in the business world.
Some company examples where baby boomers acting as good coaches and mentors have been put into use are-
1. Lockheed-Martin Missiles & Fire Control uses inventive joint instruction activities to prepare mentors and mentees. Pairs do a range of trust-building exercises, including one with blindfolds in which mentors act as group guides the mentees in problem solving.
2. Technical University of Berlin and the European Academy for Women in Politics and Economics also has an innovative program dubbed as “Preparing Women to Lead”. In this program, the university graduates take part in internships in Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands. Then for the next three months the women are paired with exceptional female mentors who tutor them about the mentors’ expertise and management styles, organizational structures, decision making, and the everyday requirements of management.
3. Hewlett-Packard in their Roseville, California facility has a site-wide program that has approximately 100 pairs working together at any one time. Mentors and mentees both participate in separate half-day training workshops that use written guides, videotapes, and skill practice.
4. Even the U.S. Army-Air Force Exchange Service has started with the idea of mentoring groups. For a period of six months, six to eight mentees and three mentors meet every two weeks. Mentees spotlight on career growth, and also learn the details of how the organization works. Discretion is emphasized upon in such exchange services.
5. Canadian Centre for Management Development (CCMD) has an original leadership program for budding Public Service senior executives. The partakers in the program acquire their knowledge from a multi-faceted approach that includes mentors, executive advisors, personal coaches, small learning groups, individuals that have varied job experiences.
Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com, and maybe I'll feature them in a future article.
Read more articles by Anna D. Banks, GCDF go to: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewByAuthor.asp?authorID=1855.