Experience is Making a Comeback
The Making of a Modern Elder
Wisdom@Work
A graphic designer frantically wrote “What now?” in a Facebook group about careers. She needed answers immediately because she’d noticed a trend – the ad agency she worked at had started giving the good design work to the new college grads. Certain that she’d “aged out” of the graphic design profession, she asked for advice about her next career. She needed to make a move. Fast. She was twenty-six.
My eyes popped out of my head as I read her post. Twenty-six and she’s feeling old? But, Chip Conley in his book Wisdom@Work says, “You don’t have to be on the other side of fifty to find this book relevant. The age where we start to feel old is creeping into some people’s thirties, with power cascading to the young in so many companies.”
IQ, EQ, DQ
Yet, he postulates, at the same time a gap as emerged. While companies are on the hunt for DQ (digital intelligence), they are noticing the negative results of a lack of EQ (emotional intelligence).
While digital expertise can get a company off the ground and humming in some ways, it’s not enough to keep it going and to make it thrive for years to come.
The Making of a Modern Elder
This book set me on fire as I read it. You know how when someone else finds words for what you’re feeling? This book did that for me.
If you’re like me, you might cringe at the word elder. Yet, if you’ve ever looked around the office to realize you’re suddenly among the oldest people in the room … if you’ve felt like you missed a meeting where everyone else learned a new digital language … if you’ve ever felt someone look right past you in your new invisibility cloak, you might find Chip’s book interesting.
Rewire, Don't Retire
If you’re feeling burned out, uninterested, tired of the same old same old, maybe it’s time to rewire. If society’s telling you it’s time to retire, but your response is “Hell no, I’m not done yet!” Then maybe it’s time to rewire instead of retire.
It’s likely that doing the same things the same way will not get you what you want. The book covers four lessons: evolve, learn, collaborate, counsel. It’s a process of taking a look around to realize things aren’t exactly as they used to be and working with that, instead of against it.
He’s also launched the Modern Elder Academy – An academy dedicated to navigating midlife transitions. It provides a place and tools to start reframing your lifetime of experience.
The Age of the Sage
In the book, Chip makes the case for the Modern Elder. Elders used to be important parts of society. Their wisdom and experience honored and called upon in times of need. It’s only relatively recently that old has come to mean something negative. Though the arrogance of youth has probably been around for a long time, it seems to have taken over our culture.
But, could this be the dawn of a new era. The age of the sage? Could we make it so? If you’re feeling like you’re not done, but society is shoving you into a corner you don’t want to be in, you don’t have to go.
Grow Whole, Not Old
You get to decide your next chapter. Don’t let society or “kids these days” decide for you. Don’t try to be younger just to fit in. Be you. Keep going. Keep learning. Use your time and energy to refuel yourself and see what fires you up. Find out what’s next. If not now, then when?
