As a living and breathing baby boomer, middle age is a fact of life. However, what is not so clear-cut is the overdue discussion on ageism in the workplace. The elephant in the room is hampering wellness efforts across the nation.
Ironically during my professional dance career, while a profession encompassed by youth, I experienced less discrimination on age than I witness right now in the workplace. I ask myself why?
Is it because dance is so heavily reliant on the body’s physical mechanism? Thus, discussion and reality are intertwined early in one’s career. Or is it because as a nation we are not comfortable with discourse on age and death? Or from a wellness perspective is it because we have a twisted view of what a healthy body is?
Probably the answer is all of the above and more. How can we change this picture? A crucial element outlined by the American Psychological Association is below.
The key, Scogin (chair of APA committee on aging) notes, is educating psychologists and the general population alike about America’s growing elderly population. “If we have people–from secondary education to continuing education, to professionals–with a greater awareness of aging as an important component, then that could have an impact on reducing ageism.”
“Professionals” in worksite wellness need a heavy dose of this greater awareness. First and foremost let’s start talking about it. Continuing to cover up and act like it’s not there is demeaning and harmful.
Next start evaluating our wellness efforts. Are they inclusive to an older population, do they meet their needs and do they inspire participation or exacerbate discrimination.
Two perspectives
In this post I’ll explore ideas for change from two perspectives. The first angle is how could wellness efforts be more tailored towards mature employees. The second approach is a personal journey. I will share my own methods of coping as an aging dancer who transitioned into a different career path utilizing existing skills and gaining new ones along the way.
First the personal side, I explore this not because I believe the individual is at fault for discrimination practices. Not in the very least. But because I believe preparation helps one deal with change and explore new opportunities.
Dance as a profession is by itself hard-wired for young bodies. While many dancers are capable of long and fulfilling careers one learns early on that there will be a day, either through injury, choice or a new prospect that the career comes to an end.
Dancers might transition into a director, ballet master, choreographer or other dance role or one moves into a whole other career path. Either move requires training, patience and dedication. All tools one acquires as a professional dancer, thus, the trick is applying those skills to the new calling.
Looking back at how I managed to move forward these five components stand out.
- Continually stimulate your brain with learning outside one’s profession
- Reinventing oneself in terms of career need not be a negative
- Keep abreast of technology even if it is not your forte
- Staying fit helps keeps one energized and engaged
- Find role models who have themselves made career changes
All of the above elements offer potential programs that wellness leaders could investigate. Think career counseling or job skill enhancement programs onsite to employees as part of a wellness program. Additional technology or alternative training to keep the brain electrified.
Honestly I don’t think the above components need any explanation. I will add one short story on my own journey. At age 40 while still in the midst of my professional dance career Indiana University invited me back to be a guest professor in dance for 1 year. As 40 is quite old for a dancer I knew my performing years were limited.
I took the job with the caveat yes, provided you let me earn a graduate degree at the same time. I graduated age 41 with a MS in Kinesiology all the while fulfilling the fulltime job commitments to the dance program. It was a huge learning curve for me in many ways.
I was thrown back into an environment of young people. I was the oldest student in the whole Kinesiology department. Plus, I had little to no computer experience having spent my youth and young adulthood in the theater. It was sink or swim.
The first month was rough and I struggled. Then slowly but surely I found a routine that started to work. I realized I couldn’t do it on my own. Studying on my own was not giving me a solid grasp of the material. If you understand anatomy or kinesiology it can be overwhelming.
At a low moment I heard a classmate mention he and his roommate were organizing an anatomy study group. I was in. That study group saved my degree. Two team members were from the Marines and had the same sort of discipline I learned from our father.
We met early morning several days a week and drilled each other on the material. One it was fun, challenging and darn it if we didn’t all reach the top of our class. Moral of the story, teamwork pays off, especially when tackling a new arena as a mature individual.
Tailoring wellness to mature individuals
I believe adapting wellness initiatives to be more inclusive of mature individuals requires a new definition of what it means to be fit. I’ve explored that already in a previous post here. Let’s take just one of the definitions proposed.
“A body shape and size determined by your ability to enjoy life to its’ fullest!”
What if we focused on programs that stimulate brainpower, build tools to enhance one’s job, particularly communication skills and provide mentoring assistance to employees, instead of gearing it towards health outcomes? Fit for work might take on a whole new meaning and at the same time the ability to enjoy life to the maximum. Bluntly speaking isn’t the job of the employee to do their job well not meet a number on a scale or cholesterol test score?
From an age perspective mature individuals have obvious different needs that younger individuals. If a company truly values their experience and expertise, gearing wellness initiatives to a young crowd sabotages value add. Find new avenues for mature individuals to bring their skills to the table.
In addition, I’ve mentioned this before but not all employees are health and fitness minded. They do all have hobbies and passions that could be accessed, promoted and bring creativity to the work environment. It’s the old Marcus Buckingham strategy; build on people’s strengths not their weaknesses.
Here’s just a few ideas I think could be positive avenues for wellness leaders to explore away from conventional programs.
- Offer language and communication skill building
- Initiate age diverse teams and committees
- Provide mentoring programs for all ages of employees
- Utilize employee artistic and creative hobbies as wellness initiatives
- Remove health outcomes as the sole role of wellness programs
There are so many issues surrounding ageism in the workplace I barely scratched the surface. My intention is to start pulling it out from under the carpet and encourage the conversation. Living longer means working longer.
Forbes Magazine in an article on “Why Older Workers Can’t Be Ignored” states “The Urban Institute predicts workers 50 years and older will account for 35% of the labor force by 2019.” That figure should be motivation enough to start working with and for our mature population, especially as concerns wellbeing.
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”
Betty Friedan
