Get Ready. Your Next-Next is Coming

It is not just the youngsters today who are changing the employment landscape; the older cohort of workers is also doing their part to significantly alter the environment. This is seen strongest as working seniors redefine “retirement” to mean something entirely new and exciting. With that comes a significant amount of planning—what we like to call our clients’ “Next, Next.”?

Whereas 65-year-olds used to stop working and live off their pensions, today’s older workforce is finding significant joy and productivity by creatively remaining engaged in the economic engine of employment. We encourage our executive clients to consider living a portfolio of personal and professional life that is comprised of a handful of jobs that, in the aggregate, comprise a fulfilling and fruitful new career.?

Before engaging with the portfolio career, there is a lot of preparation and steps that need to be taken. When we work with clients in career transition who are in their 60s, we map out a very specific plan that includes a dual focus on preparing for their next job, which is usually the last stop on their climb up the corporate ladder, and urge them to consider what happens after that chapter ends.??

To be sure, there are many who, by the time they reach their mid-to-late-60s, want to sit poolside and lounge in the sun-drenched glow of retirement, but we know from experience that most C-Suite executives are not wired that way. I enjoy asking my clients: “have you done your greatest thing yet?” and witnessing the moment they realize they still have that fire. They, and we, know there is still a lot of work to be done and much to be accomplished later in careers and life. Consider the creative and business accomplishments of the following leaders of their crafts who were in “retirement” age:?

At 62, JRR Tolkien published the first volume of his fantasy series “The Lord of the Rings;”?

At 66, Noah Webster completed his “American Dictionary of the English Language;”?

At 70, Cornelius Vanderbilt began buying up railroads.?

Ready to get started on your Next, Next plan? Here are the three critical steps everyone should take to manage their “retirement” before it manages them:?

Coaching. Reflection is generally not something executives do well on their own because they are so focused on their careers. These highly driven people are usually set on a specific career path and never look back until the very end of the road. Having a guide in the form of a coach can be an efficient and productive way to set a new course. Coaches can be invaluable resources in helping clients formulate what retirement looks like and how to get there without distraction.?

Monetize. As part of the reflection piece, executives should start thinking about where his and her passions truly lie. Ask yourself what he or she loves to do and how you can make money doing it.?

Start. It is never too early, nor is it ever too late, to begin the process of considering this new and exciting phase of one’s career. Reflect, self-assess and start preparing.?

Why not get ready for your Next, Next right now? The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be, and you will realize that your greatest career accomplishments have most likely yet to be achieved. With a little bit of planning and guidance you can make it happen.??

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Bob Ryan , a global business leader, is a Managing Director and Executive Advisor at Felix . Bob’s career has included key leadership roles with companies ranging from $500M to $84B, including 宝洁 , Tate & Lyle , Bombardier , Kimball Hill Homes , and Griffith Foods . Bob is also a Hudson Institute Coaching Program graduate and the International Coaching Federation member. As an Executive Advisor Bob focuses on coaching senior executives transitioning their career or developing their leadership skills.?