This month’s Atlantic has wise words for both millennials and boomers.
For boomers, “the biggest mistake professionally successful people make is attempting to sustain peak accomplishment indefinitely, trying to make use of the kind of fluid intelligence that begins fading relatively early in life. This is impossible. The key is to enjoy accomplishments for what they are in the moment, and to walk away perhaps before I am completely ready—but on my own terms,” says Arthur C. Brooks in his article entitled, Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think Here’s how to make the most of it
Its all about re-intentioning your career, a term I learned in an interesting conversation I had at C2 Montreal 2019 this year. Instead of giving up on oneself, like the man Brooks describes at the beginning of his article, it is possible to harness the strength of boomers crystallized intelligence which he defines as: “the ability to use knowledge gained in the past. Think of it as possessing a vast library and understanding how to use it. It is the essence of wisdom. Because crystallized intelligence relies on an accumulating stock of knowledge, it tends to increase through one’s 40s, and does not diminish until very late in life.”
There is also a strong message in this article for milllenials -- their runway on their fluid intelligence is limited. There is something to be said for “just doing it” and not waiting to be fully trained and credentialed as many younger clients feel they need to be before embarking on their career. It may be better for them to determine what they are curious about and then go after a position where they can act on their top strengths and be driven by their deepest values.
Some people may say that there are no jobs like this. Our experience is just the opposite -- the jobs are out there that fit these criteria. Its all about the search strategy and sometimes it takes consultation from a career management consultant to get there faster.
Are you considering a career transition? Wayne Greenway is Senior Partner with Career Aviators, a Certified B Corporation® that its directs profits to support programs to help vulnerable youth flourish in the face of highly stressful life situations. He is passionate about helping clients across Canada to find jobs in which they will excel, value highly and love to do.
