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IN THE LEAD
Baby Boomers Seek New Ways To Escape Career Claustrophobia
Updated June 24, 2003 12:00 a.m. ET
One of the biggest concerns for managers in their 40s and 50s, besides job security, is
the lack of opportunities for advancement. There are so many baby boomers that the
scramble for seats at the top is highly competitive. Even worse, the usual competition
from younger people is tougher than ever as companies promote ambitious
employees even in their 20s who are gaining technical and global experience very
early in life.
The result is that many baby boomers feel underutilized and stuck in jobs they already
have mastered years before they plan to retire. "Lots of companies pigeonhole people
in their 40s and older as only being good at one particular thing," says Dory Hollander,
an executive career coach in Arlington, Va. "They figure why take a chance on them
for something new when they can get someone younger; but then they end up with
managers who feel career claustrophobia."
A few companies recognize the need to motivate all their employees and are grappling
with ways to challenge their baby-boomer managers. They encourage those they don't
promote to make lateral moves that will broaden their experience. They also are
receptive to veterans who raise their hands for very different assignments than they
have had in the past. "If you don't keep people fresh and growing," Ms. Hollander
warns, "they become stagnant."
At General Electric, baby-boomer managers are encouraged to take advantage of the
greater personal mobility they may have when their children leave home or they are
more settled. "Suddenly they come to a stage when they may have more flexibility to
take a foreign assignment or do something they couldn't at a younger age," says
Susan Peters, vice president, executive development. Her staff actively recruits
seasoned managers for jobs overseas.
One 50-something manager who spent most of his career in the U.S., transferred to a
post in Budapest three years ago after his children were grown. Recently, he moved
again to China, where he helps local employees understand GE procedures and
culture. "The opportunities for growth in China are enormous but you can't establish a
work force there overnight," says Ms. Peters. "We need seasoned people."
Other veteran GE managers are tapped to help integrate newly acquired businesses.
They are well-suited for the task because of their knowledge about GE and experience
with people, says Ms. Peters.
GE's commitment to continual career development is emphasized during annual
reviews, when employees tell their bosses about their future goals. Those discussions
are then reviewed by operations and human-resource managers, who try to match
employees seeking job changes with new openings. "It's part of the DNA here to keep
adding things to peoples' plates and making sure they have new opportunities," says
Ms. Peters, who is 50.
She joined GE 24 years ago in a management-training program in human resources
and has since worked in several divisions, including plastics and appliances, and at
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Page 1 of 3Baby Boomers Seek New Ways To Escape Career Claustrophobia - WSJ
8/18/2014http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB105639321511364900
WSJ In-Depth
About Carol Hymowitz
Carol Hymowitz writes about leadership challenges
and conflicts three Tuesdays a month in In The Lead.
Carol conceived the column partly out of her
experiences as a manager at the Journal, as bureau
chief in Pittsburgh and now as a senior editor in New
York, where she supervises a group of reporters in
several cities. In her 20 years with the Journal as a
reporter and editor, she has covered many industries
-- including steel, retail, banking, and manufacturing --
as well as management and workplace issues.
"Given the technological and global complexity of
business today, managers must make decisions at an
ever faster pace while motivating others in new ways,"
she says. "Yet management and leadership remain
an art rather than a science, dependent as ever on
relationships among people. I try to illustrate that
through the experiences of myself and others."
Carol says she sees the column as a conversation
with readers. To contribute your perceptions and
opinions, e-mail Carol at [email protected].
NBC. Now at corporate headquarters in Fairfield, Conn., she encourages other
managers to move across GE's diverse businesses and gain experience in a variety of
industries.
Mark Weber, president and chief operating officer of New York apparel maker Phillips-
Van Heusen, hopes his company's recent acquisitions of businesses, such as Calvin
Klein, will provide new career opportunities for seasoned employees. "Now a manager
of a branded business can move to a design business," says Mr. Weber.
Mt. Weber has had 25 different assignments in his 31 years at the company. "It has
always been exciting, and part of my job now is to create new mountains for others to
climb," he says.
What can baby boomers do to renew their careers if they are at companies or
organizations that don't tap them for promotions or even lateral moves? "You can't go
around whining," says Barbara Barski-Carrow, a senior consultant at the government's
Health and Human Services department who just turned 60 and plans to work for
many more years. "You have to think very carefully about what you want to do and
become an ally to your boss. If you're clear about your goals and are a team player,
you're more likely to get support."
She has worked at HHS for the past 16 years on an assortment of jobs, some of which
she designed. Among these: developing a training program on sexual harassment,
and training and leadership development for Hispanic employees. She also networks
with an array of professionals outside her agency. "The contacts and exposure keep
me thinking about new ideas and different approaches," she says.
Ms. Hollander, the career coach, also urges baby boomers to seek outlets for talents
or aspects of their personality they haven't had a chance to express. "Midlife is a time
when parts of the self that have been neglected begin to bubble up," she says. "Bean
counters may suddenly need to do more creative work, while people who have been
adventurous may need more stability."
E-mail comments to [email protected]
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