2021: A Listening Year, A Learning Year
2021 was a year. Note the missing adjective. Let’s just call it the year that threw everything at us. Some survived, some thrived. Quite a few people made some big changes in what has become known as the “Great Resignation,” a phenomenon that practically no one saw coming except in hindsight.
When LifeWork began operations in the Triangle Region, our primary focus was working with companies, individuals, and nonprofit organizations to help experienced professionals transition from their corporate careers into “second acts” in the community sector. We were concerned, particularly as the pandemic took hold, that organizations would shed seasoned workers in need of soft landings via layoffs. That’s not what happened, of course. But as we met with people in the 55+ demographic who had left corporate life behind (voluntarily or not) we kept hearing two common refrains: “I wasn’t ready” and “What do I do now?”
Financially, most were doing the right thing. Early in their careers, they invested in a 401(K) or something similar, taking advantage of matching opportunities with an eye on the prize of retirement. And that is where most companies concentrate their retirement programs – benefit plans focused on saving and investing for the future. But there is another side to retirement: the mental and emotional transition. Very few retirees are ready for this transition, and very few companies offer any kind of guidance to help them prepare for it.
Listening turned into learning, learning turned into action. The decision to retire is the first of many possible choices to be made. It is also the beginning of a multi-step process. LifeWork is now offering a live interactive seminar that addresses the transition from corporate to retirement.
Designed for anyone with considering retirement in the future – or currently faced with it unexpectedly – the LifeWork Retirement Seminar is an honest look at the challenges you will face, while providing helpful guidance for success in your new post-corporate life.
Corporate sessions are limited to 12 participants and can be held at your site or a LifeWork coworking facility. Contact me directly (Steve@LifeWork.ngo) for more information.