Sometimes, when people are retiring, the organization says, ‘Bye, bye, have a good time.’ Sometimes people get a farewell party or some kind of gift. And sometimes the door is just closed without any thanks for all the time you spent there trying to achieve goals and make the organization better.
When an organization just lets go of people who have been there for so long, they will lose a lot of experience and wisdom. They will lose continuity if the retiring people are getting out of the door before the newbies have arrived.
Maybe the organization wants to change and thinks it is better to get rid of the old to be able to move forward towards the new. What they miss is that no change is done in a vacuum. There is always a before and not everything that has been there was wrong or bad. Not everything needs to be thrown out the window. And then, change is a forever-continuing flow which happens with or without the wisdom and experience of the retiring people. If their wisdom could be harvested in some way, the organization would at least have some roots holding them steady in the storms to come.
An important moment for the Genuine Contact Organization
The International Genuine Contact Organization was at a crossroads when many of its members, who had been there since the beginning, started to leave because of retirement or other changes in their lives. The question was how the organization would continue to grow or even survive if so many of those who had been carrying the story and holding a stable foundation were leaving at the same time. The organization had been through troublesome times earlier and, at those times, had always been supported by many of those members who now wanted to leave. I was one of them. It was not that I really wanted to disconnect totally, but I was changing my life towards less work and doing other things I had put aside for a long time, like writing, travelling and gardening.
Creating a space for Elder wisdom
The International Genuine Contact Organization has many membership levels but none of them seemed to be for me. I had been a Co-Owner and had been on its leadership team for years so to join another membership group felt awkward. People in those groups were often in full speed ahead with their careers and only loosely connected to the organization. Where were I supposed to fit?
Then some people got the great idea to create a new membership group in the organization, the Elders group, with a golden badge showing the wisdom and experience gathered in this group. Once this group was formed, several members quickly became Elders and others joined. Even some who had retired from the Genuine Contact community, who chose to return now that there was a clear place that felt right for them. The Elders group decided to meet each month to explore what eldership means and to be Firekeepers of the story and values of the International Genuine Contact Organization.
A group like this and with this kind of contribution would be very valuable for any organization including families. It helps the organization to have roots so it doesn’t get lost in stormy weather, and it connects history with the future. It values wisdom and years of contribution, making an intentional space for those who still have much to contribute. For those leading the organization into the future, there is always someone to ask and to hold their backs. Every organization that is serious about sustainable success and growth should have an Elders group.
Photo by TheStandingDesk on Unsplash
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