World Wise Unite

As a joint force people of any age can change the world

2009-10-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Being 66, in good physical and mental condition, at least as per my own judgment, I never, think about age being any impediment towards anything I might wish to do. This is regardless of the fact that I am a bit deaf, from all that lovely rock & roll music I enjoyed over the years and even now. In fact, sometimes bad hearing can also be a blessing when you really do not want to hear what others have to say. My eye sights also is not what it used to be, and that is a bit more heart wrenching, as it has resulted in my giving up driving a car, which always gave me a sense of freedom. I dress the way I want all though lately I try to be a bit more conservative when in the company of others. They may not wish to glimpse part of a somewhat wrinkled breast, peaking our of a low cut summer top. I have a good body again I would not wish to put on a bikini, but otherwise it pretty much has held its shape. And I am extremely fortunate of having enjoyed so far a fairly amazing, exciting and challenging life. I am far from rich, monetarily that is, but have been able to hold my own through trials and tribulations. But what I do have I will never give up and that is a sense that life is to be lived to the fullest. And that means using my brain to the fullest, never taking whatever is said at its value and always trying to improve things for myself and others.

On a social level, facing invisibility by the rest of the world, which happens to specifically women over the age of 50, does not bother me much. I can count the number of friends I have on the fingers of one hand. In the private part of my life I more or less do what I want with whom I want and in whatever way I like. I am certainly never lonely, all though sometimes a bit bored. My personal social life is fairly limited, both due to a lack of funds and the fact that most people I come in contact with, one might say are going a different direction and consequently there is not much to talk about. However in the framework of business, I literally meet hundreds of people, who probably never realize what a solitary person I am.

I find myself, in most cases still to be a foreigner, having entered the US some forty years ago. More often than not, because I have an accent, all though I speak English fluently, people ask me what country I came from. It is kind of strange in this land of ours that includes so many people from all over the world, that these questions are still asked. Does it really matter? Of course, not having been born here or having gone to school here, ones misses an important part of life in America, the connections one makes through attending school, being married to an American, makes one more an integral part of American life. This particular fact becomes more definitive when one becomes older, as cultural behaviors learned at an early age, become more prominent and your sense of wanting to belong is more directed to those you left behind in your country of birth.

Add to this sense of separation the fact there is a general consensus that unless you are a well known actress actor or a football player, when you reach the age of fifty, you are slowly using your marbles, including whatever brainpower or experience you possessed, and invisibility becomes part of your life, whether you like it or not.

Taking into account that first impressions are a very important part of life in America, you are immediately categorized of not being important enough for a secondary evaluation. Has anyone ever considered that this particular evaluation has to be contrary to factual information? Are we no longer physically attractive, because we carry a wrinkle, here and there on our bodies as well as our souls? After years of taking care of men, children, family and friends, are we less energetic or less powerful in all of our communication. When and how did experience in all of life’s activities become a burden rather than an asset?

What is there to be gained from this kind of behavior? Does it dawn on any one in this group, the power that lies within humans from different age groups to jointly face the new global world, rather than make this a domain of only younger people?

If one looks at the indigenous populations of the world, who are the most powerful people in the family, aren’t they older people? And this is not even a women issue only the same happens to men. Why do the young techies in today’s world think they own the world? Don’t they realize that without actual human communication and input we are lost? The genius of mankind can never be found in technology, but rather in the brains and actions of human beings.

The positive thrilling part of mature life is the fact that there is literally a network of support out there made up out of other mature people. Whenever I am stopped by something that is difficult to achieve by myself, I look around for another similarly aged person and know that help is on the way. Just think what an incredible force that could be if we really wanted to change something.

For example, trying to trace a very important package in a town where I was totally unfamiliar, a postal worker of a similar age to mine, took charge and spent at least an hour on my behalf finding my lost package. In my present position of leading tours, I find women getting a kick out of watching me and feeling good that someone their age is taking care of them. The reality is that bound together we are an awesome force, not only for our own generation but one to reckon with when things really do fall apart.

So let the fact, that you are part of a great generation, spur you on to accomplish great things. Find pride in yourself and from that point, charge ahead to bind yourself with others and create and accomplish your own goals. If you feel shaky, sit down and marvel at all the things you have accomplished, whether at home or professionally. Get fit, get healthy, take care of yourself, and know that you can create whatever it is you aim for. You are after all created to accomplish great things on this earth.

The economy, a two-sided affair, we urge you to take the middle road

2009-09-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

In all situations there are two sides of the coin, this includes the current economy.

• Lower pricing but less money in your pocket

• Less travel thus less damage to the environment, whether caused by airplanes, other transportation or local infrastructure

• Less money available means that the purchase of ecologically produced goods goes down, thus increasing harm to the environment

• A downturn in employment, causing others to work harder and to be careful to not take any time off

• As service jobs are the first to go, those who have the least amount of money to live on, suffer more

• As service jobs are lost, service becomes non-existent harassing an already tense population

• With jobs lost we have plenty of time to do the things, we have put off forever.

• With a job lost, we have plenty of time to think about what is needed in today’s economy to get us back on our feet

So what is the middle road?

Make sure you make a list of priorities in the near future. This isn’t going away any time soon. Set funds aside so that if you know you need to make a purchase and the price is right, buy it. Find those stores that have lay-away programs, such as K-Mart and Sears. If you need such items as vacuum cleaners, get together with your neighbors and set up a sharing program.

Travel locally, find projects that need a helping hand. Search local papers, for example the Weekly or sites that are always looking for volunteers to assist with cleaning trails or other infrastructure. Participate in programs that are offered by your local park or beach communities. This is also a wonderful way for you and your family to make new friends and meet other people.

Really have a yearn to go overseas, rather than stay in comfortable hotels, find programs that connect you with a local family, you will broaden your horizons, make new friends and learn perhaps practices that you can adopt in your own lifestyle. In the meantime, you have balanced in a small way that country’s economy.

Be mindful these days of people’s moods and feelings. Just like you, they are involved in a balancing act that sometimes erupts when things get too hairy. A comment here and there to lighten the mood, or perhaps to give a helping hand, creates mutual benefits. If your server in the store or restaurant is too harried, do not complain, say take your time, I know you are busy. This attitude more than anything will make the person aware that someone cares. In return you will get much better service.

Without a job and most likely without money life can create tough situations. Set aside a certain amount of money, only if you can miss it, of course, and only if it does not put you in a tense situation, and indiscriminately distribute it during the day. Do not make judgments about who you giving these funds to just think about how hard it would be for you to be in a situation to go begging. I guaranty you that just knowing that you gave without judgment will make you feel like a million.

Remember those things you put off forever, because you did not have time, now is the time to pick that up again. Whether it is learning how to knit, participate in an exercise program, visit with nearby friends, clean out the attic and take whatever you do not need any more to a consignment or thrift store.

And by the way, spend some time to think about the opportunities there are within this economy to make money. You have a skill then market it to companies that just have laid off people in that specific department and offer them to work part time as a consultant. A couple of those part time jobs in the same field, might even get you to the point where you set up your own consulting firm and never return your original workplace.

Yes, the economy is tough, but in tough times tough people get going. They know there is always the other side of the coin, the side that offers plenty of new opportunities.

Your small mistakes, really do not matter in the realm of the greater world

2009-09-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

This morning I read an article in the New York Times, stating that our US Budgetary Office has over the years mistakenly reflected that Medicare is costing the government more, rather than less. At this particular space and time, that could serve as the breaking point for a public debate that has turned acrimonious. And we are very lucky in this country that we have people continuously checking and double checking that specifically large important public centers do actually perform to standard. This would take arguably the steam away from a lot of critics who have maintained that a public health system governed by the government would be very expensive.

However, what this article also points out that we never should take opinions generated by any governing or other large institution or organization at their worth. It is necessary for the public to be constantly at alert to investigate those statements that intuitively we know are false. It is so to say our public duty. It is also one of the reasons to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, by reading newspapers either paper or on the internet, subscribing to forums even if they do not necessarily represent your line of thinking and in general spend about an hour or so each day to read, learn and think about what is happening in this world.

You say you do not have the time? When critical issues are at hand, don’t you want to be informed, or would you rather be like the masses who pick up one word or sentence, usually out of context and go out with it storming fences that are made of rubble to begin with. What a waste of energy and time.

Does this mean that you spend your time fighting battles that are not yours to being with? Then choose your issues carefully based upon what affects you personally the most. You can, but do not have to fight issues that are not part of your realms of living. But if they are, you owe it to yourself and others that are important to you, to be informed, prepared and ready to make a stand.

We have limited time in this life of ours, and we need to spend it wisely. Make a list, prioritize that what is important to you and those you love and care for. Then spend an hour or so a day to get informed and consider not just one source for your information but several, even if they are contrary to your belief. Form an opinion, share it and become an active participant in the process of your life

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

2009-09-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

One of the interesting tidbits of my life is that I have a young sounding voice. So people I talk to on the phone professionally, usually presume that I am in my thirties. I am also not born in this country, so based on the recent call center establishments in such places as India their reaction to hearing my voice is less then welcoming. Some even hang up as soon as I answer the phone. I am Dutch, born and educated in the Netherlands to be a teacher and have reached the wonderful age of 67. Most telephone callers though are pleasantly surprised by my poise, my knowledge and my understanding of their specific needs

Facing people physically though is a totally different story. Frankly the invisibility factor, mentioned by many of my friends of the same age does not bother me that much. It gives you the freedom to be who you are and no one really cares. The “mind” matter affects me much more, as I am sure it does others. How can any sensible person reasonably assume that after you turn a certain age, you lose the ability to access what knowledge and experience you gathered over a period of multiple decades.

Looking forward to working at least another fifteen years, I consider being “mindless” a situation most difficult to accept, even more so because it is so disturbingly untrue. Are the last forty or so years of our life going to be a blank SLATE? The knowledge and experience gained gone forever. The sense of security of feeling respected gone haywire. What about that fascinating life you lived, the feelings of accomplishments, having gone through all the ups and downs, to get where you wanted to be, do these efforts sill matter?

In most non western, non-commercialized countries, wisdom is connected to the elders in the community. Why and how did this perception disappear in our western world? Why in our world today is “maturity” shunned? Ask any person, who cannot survive on social security about their jobs and you will find that no matter their profession in earlier life, they all work on menial jobs in an environment where promotions are unheard of.

Looking at the next decade based on present data, at least fifty percent of us “older folks” will have to work until we are reaching our seventies, just to survive. This for most of us is ok, because we like to stay involved in activities that challenge our minds and in some jobs our bodies, as well. But we do not want to be relegated to the meaningless jobs that we are usually offered. We still want to make a difference, to be involved in decision making or to have our opinions count. Interestingly, what most companies do not perceive is that with an ever growing market of older people, we are the ones who clearly understand what they want and need.

It is interesting to note in this scenario, that perhaps some men at an older age would prefer to have a younger person serving them, but most likely more than eighty percent of the older folks, would rather converse and deal with someone their age. So what are these upper management people thinking?

Indeed one of the most frustrating areas of employment is the non-use of previously learned experience. A company not interested in feedback from their employees, specifically from those who are in direct contact with the clients, is sticking its head in the sand. Specifically since the segment of mature people in the marketplace is growing, there needs to be synchronization between the clients and those who serve them.

Certainly as the world has become more technically advanced, the younger generation is better equipped and much more interested in its applications, then the more mature generation. At the same time, this generation in general lacks the sensitivity of face to face communication, i.e. identifying emotions or understanding the change in the tone of voice of a prospective client. Again these specific traits can feed off each other by having teams of older folks work hand in hand with those who have not yet mastered this way of communicating.

If you wish to hire young people for their enthusiasm and energy and technical knowhow and you wish them to stay with your company and move up the ladder, what better way can there be to serve all facets of client orientation, then to team them up with the older folks. Eventually when the mature person, finally reaches the age that they should retire, you have an employee, who most likely will be the leader of the new age, where maturity is a batch of honor both for the company itself and its employees.

It has never been hip to be poor, yet being poor in these difficult times, is a triple whammy!

2009-09-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

This morning in the news it was announced that 39 King County parks will be closed as of January 2010, because there is no budget left to keep them open. As I read that I wondered whether I had been mistaken in my understanding that some of the stimulus funds were going to be used to put people to work instead of just drawing unemployment funds. What a wonderful opportunity just opened up. The people, who need fresh air the most, would now have the opportunity to enjoy it while they are working. It seems ridiculous that the whole of Seattle is under construction for what I have no idea, and yet, there are no funds to keep places, such as our parks that are so important in these difficult times, open. As I am supposed to vote today selecting a bunch of people, who in my opinion, have little or no qualifications to undertake the jobs of Mayor and councilmen and women, I wonder if we are ever going to be prepared to really take on this depression. After all, the closure affects those who use the park for their recreation and rest, and in turn they really could benefit from jobs associated with keeping them open.

Walking along our sidewalk these days, you wonder if ever we are going to be asked and paid for cleaning up what now is being left alone, overgrown bushes and grass, and trash everywhere. Again, I know hundreds of people who would love to work in the outdoors and get a livable wage.

And don’t have me write about credit card debts for people who would not have any, if it were not for the loan sharks out there. An article this morning points out that credit card companies are tightening their belts in their giveaways. Well I guess that is not so nice for those who are still paying their monthly dues. There are people out there though, who would be glad to accept lowered benefits, if the companies that they deal with played fair with their interest rates, delayed payments, overdraft charges, etc. When are we going to address the fact that the credit card companies that issue credit cards to poor people are predators and charge anything they can get away with and keep doing it, regardless of any laws that are out there to prevent this?

If we wish to keep this world going, we need to be aware that people who serve us, and there are many, in retail and grocery stores, in hotels and restaurants, cleaning our roads and our houses, taking care of our children, people in which most of us put our trust, cannot survive in a world where they bear the burden of a market economy going bust.

Finding work in tough economic times, you can do it!

2009-09-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

Finding “rewarding” employment in more sense than one, for someone who has crossed the sixty-year age limit, is already a tough nut to crack. In these tough economic times, it has become almost impossible. Not only do you battle the fact that in all likelihood younger people (most likely your potential employers) think that along the way to maturity you might have lost some of your marbles, or they might feel sometimes rightly that the electronic age has passed you by. Yes, those of us who have reached this actually quite interesting and rewarding age, face this “first impression’ kind of thinking on a regular basis. Mind you, that most of us have had so many jobs, from emptying hospital bedpans to managing a marketing team of more than twenty people, that it is awfully difficult to take this kind of attitude seriously. But reality has a way of taking you down a notch or two.

So how in the “heck” do you fact this situation. After all, food is kind of a necessity for continuing to exist as well as the need to have a place to lay your weary head to rest at night.

First of all, never, ever, take the opinions of others seriously. After all they do not know you, nor would you like them too. No one, except yourself, can change your opinion of who you are, as luckily you are the only one in the know. That alone, of course, does not bring bread on the table, but it goes a long way to keep you sane. Repeat this mantra over and over any time any one makes a comment that might hit you as derogatory

Secondly, do yourself a favor and list those talents you have, even if they are toilet scrubbing. After all it takes guts to do that any time you do that for someone or some ones you do not know. What I mean by this is that you list any activity any thought that empowered you in the past to do what you did and to be good at it. Keep those thoughts handy for those times that you meet people who do not know you.

One of my better points is that I have a lot of energy, not usual for someone my age. So when I come across someone who has not yet broadened their horizons towards respect for those of us who have entered the glorious stage of maturity, I invite them to for a little exercise, and I mean exercise of the body. It has never failed to work, but a bit difficult to do during a potential interview.

The third perhaps most appropriate approach is to address needs and this is at any time during the course you seek employment. What are the needs of this specific job at this particular time? And what are the resources I might bring that fulfill the requirements. Remember that most of us at our particular time of life are usually very responsible and time conscious. We would not dare to leave at five minutes to the hour of the end of our job, actually most of the time staying because something is not yet finished. Well ladies and gentlemen those factors need to be brought up front. Study the need and the job requirements and know where you shine versus any other employee, young or old. Do not be tongue tied when they finally ask and why do you feel that you are the right candidate. Deliver those facts with flair and a smile, knowing inside that regardless of getting the job, you are the greatest and never forget that.

Living in a global world, whether you like it or not, carries responsibilities

2009-09-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I read an article in the New York Times, stating that our US Budgetary Office has over the years mistakenly reflected that Medicare is costing the government more, rather than less, which they now state. At this particular space and time, that could serve as the breaking point for a public debate that has turned acrimonious. And we are very lucky in this country that we have people continuously checking and double checking that specifically large important public centers do actually perform to standard. This would take arguably the steam away from a lot of critics who have maintained that a public health system governed by the government would be very expensive.

However, what this article also points out that we never should take opinions generated by any governing or other large institution or organization at their worth. It is necessary for the public to be constantly at alert to investigate those statements that intuitively we know are false. It is so to say our public duty. It is also one of the reasons to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, by reading newspapers either paper or on the internet, subscribing to forums even if they do not necessarily represent your line of thinking and in general spend about an hour or so each day to read, learn and think about what is happening in this world.

You say you do not have the time? When critical issues are at hand, don’t you want to be informed, or would you rather be like the masses who pick up one word or sentence, usually out of context and go out with it storming fences that are made of rubble to begin with. What a waste of energy and time.

Does this mean that you spend your time fighting battles that are not yours to being with? Then choose your issues carefully based upon what affects you personally the most. You can, but do not have to fight issues that are not part of your realm of living. But if they are, you owe it to yourself and others that are important to you, to be informed, prepared and ready to make a stand.

We have limited time in this life of ours, and we need to spend it wisely. Make a list, prioritize that what is important to you and those you love and care for. Then spend an hour or so a day to get informed and consider not just one source for your information but several, even if they are contrary to your belief. Form an opinion, share it and become an active participant in the process of your life

Aaltje van Zoelen is the Managing Partner of World Wise Ecotourism Network, which highlights conservation efforts in the Russian Far East. Aaltje was born in the Netherlands, has resided in the US for the past 40 years, worked in East Russia for twenty of those and has traveled widely.

America, the Beauty and the Beast, where change is the only sensible action

2009-09-26T19:13:00.001-07:00

Being an immigrant to this country, now holding citizenship, I still am amazed at its natural beauty, the grit and idealism of its people, and it sometimes grandiose efforts to save those in need. However, I am also sad and disappointed about the close ties between the government of this country and big business. Even this depression, which was mainly caused by big business, seems not to have done much to diminish the influence big business has on our lives. Look at the current health debate and ask who is financing the acrimonious struggle towards efforts that support a public health plan? Obviously there is no money for such efforts relative to those who actually need it.

Big Business is still very much alive and well! And no I do not blame the Obama administration as a lot of people seem to do. You cannot make changes in an environment where the change has to be motivated and adopted by Congress and the Senate and business there is as usual.

The majority of Congressmen and Senators are backed by big business, and so their decisions are usually closely connected to this support. There are good ones and they do stand out, but a majority of them have done this job for ages and are set in their way. Hence this is a system that needs to be changed (Campaign Reform laws) but based on previous efforts and the current climate, most likely won’t. This is the system with which Obama has to work and I am sure he is finding out quickly that affecting change is not as easy as it seemed during his campaign.

Secondly, it seems that the majority of Americans seem to have become one sound bite people. They make decisions and judgments based on trigger words or they take words out of their context and form instant opinions, which are most of the time, totally irrelevant to the issue at hand.

The issue is that those who need it cannot get health care. When you do get health care, even with health insurance coverage, costs for an emergency hospital visit can rise as high as 10,000USD of which you still have to pay a hefty $750 yourself. Well, folks these costs for basic health care services are not feasible for people who, are unemployed, hold low wage jobs or are otherwise bankrupt. Our rising health care costs are part of the unhealthy state of our nation, part of which is made up of people who are overweight and who suffer from related health issues. And yes, Virginia, our government health care system, called Medicare, as I can testify, runs much smoother and the costs to providers are a tenth of others covered by other health insurances. You cannot operate a health system that charges incredible high fees for any service, with a high unemployment rate and a great amount of people, who cannot afford to pay these fees. Eventually the system will break and we all will be on boats without a paddle.

I am sure that the ideological and overblown fears have largely been created by whom else than “large business concerns” who wield enormous power in this country. These people are so arrogant that they cannot see that eventually they too will need to face reality, when people have no way to pay for anything at all.

What can you do?

1. Make sure you understand the facts before you attend a session on the issue of health insurance?

2. Ask those who receive government assistance how they feel about it and how it works?

3. Do think, if you are employed, about others who aren’t and the fact that it might happen to you as well.

4. Do make sure that you understand all the facts not just what others tell you. Make sure there is no politically motivating entity whether democratic or republican influencing your action

5. Think about trust, our government through thick and thin has always been there for you, hasn’t it? But what about all those large concerns that it has aided in the last year or so? Where would you put your money?

Bridging the divide by finding new ways to prosper

2009-09-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I read an article in our local newspaper that struck a chord. An increase in volunteering was noted due to a surge of retirement by a new generation. However these new volunteers unequivocally stated “they were not interested in licking stamps or other such menial tasks, but wanted to be involved in leadership positions using their hard earned experience to truly make a difference.”

This thought frequently crosses my mind in my current job as a call center reservation agent for a rather large cruise company. We, the more mature folks are hired, for a number of reasons. Most likely because we are more responsible (i.e. arrive and leave on time) as well one would hope for our professional and life experiences. We also tend to be a bit more informed about what is happening in the world at large. However, most of us, who know we will have to work for another ten years or more, would like eventually to move up the ladder to a position commensurate with our skills. This job like most jobs that deal with human interactions, can be stressful and tedious. Because the staff has little or no experience, either in the travel industry or other business environments, numerous rules and regulations govern the reservation process. The majority of these rules also serve to limit the company’s legal liability. Some of the processes are governed by decisions made by an upper management team that is far removed from the realities each reservation agent faces, regardless of age and experience. The whole structure of the process though, drives some of the more mature individuals crazy because there is no room for using their life long experience to improve, change or adapt the process. In many cases, where it involves customer service; the process decimates the ability to make an individual judgment about the situation at hand. Even more disturbing for those of us with a long history in the hospitality industry, is the lack of interaction between the company’s management team with the people who are on a daily basis day in contact with the company’s clients. Not only do they miss valuable input, they also seem to be totally unaware how their policies and procedures affect their own bottom line.

Of course, the young and the old reservation staff are joined at the hip as one, working with and at different levels of competency and experience. This presents, of course, some difficulties. The younger crowd, because they have less work experience, require a stricter infrastructure, as not to cost the company its livelihood. While, we a bit more mature, are depending on our life experience, to make the right choice, using different approaches to different situations, to make the sale. And, yet we are all measured by the same evaluation methods.

Moving up the company ladder is a process that is either non-existent or wrought with so much despondency that most of us rather stay where we are. Lack of experience with the company is one of the most cited reasons, to move beyond the reservation position. One person, with an outstanding career as a Human Resource Manager, was told that he could not join the Customer Relations department, because of lack of experience with the cruise product. Never mind that when it comes to solving people’s problems, understanding human behavior in all its facets, usually solves the problem, not how well one interprets company’s policies.

Presently reaching an age of fifty or even sixty is just a milestone in active people’s lives, just like reaching the age of forty some years ago. Some of us retire and enjoy our retirement. Others, either for financial or other reasons, look forward to continuing their professional careers and sharing with others our experience. And, finally for some, the option to retire does not exist, as the necessity to stay fully alive and be actively involved in a career, is a necessity. Should we then be satisfied with just petering out in the least empowering way? Someone, I actually like told me to just look at it as a job, something we do just eight or more hours a day, but does not define us? That would perhaps be so if you were an individual who had a large family, loved to garden, had sufficient money not to work, etc. But for most of us, this is life! I wonder how many illnesses (mentally and physically) could be avoided by giving more people like us the opportunity to share what we have learned. What about teaming up younger people with the older folks, so that they can learn from each other? What about teaming up in career advancement sharing long term expertise with knowledge of up to date technologies? What about sharing life experiences that have taught us, the importance of human communication versus the use of cell phones or other communication devices.

This is of course not a new problem, but one would have thought that over the past decades there would have been some change. I remember vividly, an older employee, approximately my age at present, in a large company I worked for, whose vivacity and the way she dressed drew my admiration. I did not know much about her, but loved to just chat with her. In our conversation she mentioned how sad she was about the tediousness of her job, which was way below her experience. Yet, I did not really understand what she meant, until one day I went to her birthday party and entered this magnificent apartment, small as it was, decorated by her absolutely vibrant paintings. And I was shocked about the cruelness of life and people’s perceptions of other human beings.

In a business whose success heavily depends on how it is perceived by its clients, a majority of which fall in the mature and older market, it is mindboggling to think that a company does not mine the wealth of experience present in its older employees. Who else will point out that smaller text in a brochure may save paper, but at the same time, if a client cannot read the text or with difficulty, he or she will lose interest. Sending a brochure by bulk mail is certainly cheaper, but if it takes a week or more, the client might have found a brochure closer at hand from another company.

The problem of creating a progressive link between its employees, whether it is between young and mature, or people with different job titles or experiences in the same department, is not just the problem of this company, but many in the business of serving clients. And those at the top who could make a difference by mining the opportunity to change this, are so far removed from day to day activities, that they do not even know how this affects their bottom line.

Where are the employers who realize that they are losing big time opportunities by not taking a road that matches long term human as well as professional experience with the freshness of ideas by the younger generation? In these difficult economic times, this certainly is a road that offers new opportunities to boost revenue for all businesses directly servicing clients.