January 26, 2015
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The Road to 65, Mile 58: Hiding in Plain Sight
January 25, 2015- A few days ago, my topic was Expectations. As I figured, the topic offended some people, but that’s the risk one takes, on a dedicated series like this. Regardless, I will continue to write what’s in my heart. Many of us prefer to overlook things which are either mundane or unsettling.
When I was still quite young, I sometimes would win a game of Hide and Seek, by simply lying down prone on the ground, close to the bottom edge of a cliff or berm. The seeker would, without fail, walk or run past me, and back to goal I would head in triumph.
Fast forward to the present, and a job market which frequently casts its nets far afield, while overlooking local talent, either out of the vanity of seeking the exotic or in the belief that someone who comes from another locale, will bring fresh vision and energy to the table. I fell in that trap, a few times, in the late ’90’s, only to be overruled by my Board, which chose an aging local person for the position. She turned out to be perfectly suited for the job, and grew in it, professionally, to serve several more years- long after I had left.
It’s just a thought, but how much would business and industry save, if they were to prioritize finding local talent, especially in smaller, close-knit communities. The newcomers do bring a different perspective, but they often must be eased into the community, while so many who are passed-over are still in the community, years later, and could have been a far greater asset to the organization, overall.
Comments (2)
It is very difficult to get employers to invest in older workers but the payoff is enormous - especially when they can bring so much experience to the position....
We older workers, in turn, would have the responsibility to tend to our health needs, as proactively as possible.
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