WorldatWork, formerly the American Compensation Association, convened its 2001 annual conference in Nashville, in early May. As an organization originally focused on the compensation and benefits portion of the universe of employment/employers/employees, many of those registered for this year's event - both as attendees and as presenters - represented that same constellation of issues. The organization changed its name, however, in order to represent a broader scope of interests and applications. As their Executive Director, Anne Ruddy, stated it in an email to me, they want to move "… beyond the pure metrics of comp and benefits."

With that widened approach in mind, my friend and colleague Ellen Blizinsky, Vice President of Community Relations, Working Solutions, (located in Seattle WA), suggested we submit a proposal that took advantage of this larger focus. W@W accepted the opportunity for us to present a workshop on Recruiting and Retaining the Mature Worker. This was my first - but, hopefully, not only - experience with WorldatWork. Unlike the not-for-profit organizations with whose events I am more familiar, W@W displays no elements of amateurishness. For example, we received "head count" updates for our workshop regularly. The assistance and support extended to presenters was, (is), impressive.

The "heavy hitters" were well represented, especially in the exhibit hall. In addition to information booths, Schwab, Fidelity, Hay Group - to name just three - provided conference "goodies" and sponsored nourishment breaks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. For better or worse, the conference site was the Opryland Hotel and Conference Center - another story altogether! - so the means were available to look, purchase, browse; eat, drink, etc., even without the sponsors; they were "icing" on an already many-layered "cake." Conference registration was substantial and sustained attendance was excellent. (Easy-to-read, but not "obnoxious," name badges abounded.)

Our presentation was at 10:30a.m. on Tuesday, May 8 - very civilized and at the midpoint of the total event. 47 registered for our workshop; attendance was as forecast. Ellen and I had decided that I would present the developmental background on midlife first, and she would follow, providing details pertaining to the mature worker and employer of the mature worker. I opened by asking how many in our audience regarded themselves as mature workers, and how many were attending because they worked with mature workers. The divide was "50/50" and comported with visual observation. [For discussion purposes, Ellen used AARP's determination that the "mature" worker is age 50 and over.]

I attended as many presentations as I could, both preceding and following our workshop. Many of the benefits discussions included adjustments to accommodate the contemporary circumstances of the maturing workplace. Many were more "radical." Sunday's opening session "keynoter" was Bruce Tulgan, regarded as an expert on GenX work force issues. Three of the points he discussed were "turning managers into coaches," "staffing the work, not the job," and "training for the mission, not the long haul." Points two and three anticipated recurring themes.

Monday, I attended a presentation by a top-level executive of Broadcom Corp. As Director/Compensation, Mr. Whittlesey expected to discuss managing millionaires in the new economy workplace. (Those who might, as he put it, "… call in 'rich' " one day) Things changed mightily between proposal submission and conference fruition; his presentation discussed managing a workforce whose benefit assets are "under water." (His company has actually worked with a bank in Silicon Valley to structure loans so the employees have some liquidity while the "dotcom" and related stocks stabilize.) This, too, was a recurring theme.

Tuesday afternoon I attended a presentation by Sherry Cronin ( Work Life Manager, Prudential) and two other speakers. Ms. Cronin included commentary on a very successful in-house workshop Prudential offers as a "brown bagger" which offers tips on how a family can manage its time better - that's right, time management for families. There was also some discussion in this workshop of the issue of balancing demands on unmarried and/or childless employees vs. married/parent(s) employees. While these are not new issues or concerns, they certainly were not part of the H.R. conversation only 20 years ago!

While we may be more familiar with discussions of the "GenXers" as the new breed of employee, and are girding for the "Yers," people over 30 still constitute the majority of those who are employed. Ellen referenced a survey which forecasts a deficit of astonishing proportions: By 2006, 151 million jobs are predicted but only 141 million workers to fill them. It truly boggles the mind! And, as the mature worker exits the workplace - for whatever reason/s - there is a loss of intellectual capital - and literacy.

As Joyce Cohen of Unconventional Wisdom, - also a friend and colleague - points out, today we are dealing with "MAG-WAG" - and it's a fact, not a phenomenon. What is MAG-WAG? Managing Across Generations - Working Across Generations. [See my article on "reproductive rights" Eye Opener vs. Eye Popper to get a sense of how "alien" we can be to one another.] When William Bridges published Job Shift (c.1994), he communicated his expectation that the world of work would be changing: "jobs" would end, "work" would endure. Robert Reich takes this thesis into the current decade in his newest book, The Future of Success (c.2000). The premise these authors present supports the end of "cradle to coffin" employment; i.e. the traditional story of 30 years with the same company. It also identifies one root cause for the (alleged) lack of "loyalty" evinced by today's more youthful workforce. As stated, speakers at the conference talked about "just in time" staffing, and hiring and training for the work - not the "job." This articulates how the world of work is changing, and does so in specific terms. What they didn't say, but is implied by these new models, is that when you hire for the job and/or train for the work, the chances of losing intellectual capital are reduced greatly.

Of course, as I stated early in my remarks to our workshop audience, we wouldn't even be having a conversation about the mature worker if extended longevity hadn't changed everything. Expectations of living longer reframe the meanings of career, "retirement" - now more aptly referred to as leisure - life-long learning, and financial planning. When we entered the 1900s, there was no need to concern ourselves with the "mature" worker, because the mature worker was the soon-to-be deceased worker. Not any more…! In addition, there was no such cohort as the "sandwich generation" - or "club sandwich" generation - representing ever-increasing time and resource demands on adults in the middle - in the midyears of their lives and the fulcrum upon which family and occupational needs are balanced.

Those of you familiar with my perspective know that I regard our midlife years as the most dynamic as well as challenging. Employers are - albeit slowly, reluctantly - beginning to recognize what this means for their "mature" workers. As we, as individuals, transition into our midyears and beyond, Purpose, Meaning, and Legacy become increasingly more important. Why? For one, we integrate the sense of our mortality into our life perspective. Even more, for many, the question "Who am I?" and its corollaries, "How did I get 'here'?" "Where am I going?" "How am I getting there? (and who's going with me?) demand attention and answers. If the answer to "Who am I?" is embedded in what you do, what it says on your business card, then today's world of work is a very destabilizing place for you. And, there is no reason to expect it to return to the way it was… The less employers provide for employees, the more vital it becomes for the individual worker to take charge of her/his life planning. [Even though the FMLA was signed into effect several years ago, a variety of research data reveals much less implementation than actual need. This said, company-sponsored EAPs have grown in importance, as has the attraction of flexible work schedules.] No data indicate a present or future reduction in the time demands on midlife workers.

I encourage to you check out WorldatWork's website, (www.worldatwork.org) and you are always welcome to cyber visit/email me.