Aging Up, Not Out
12/02/19 • 53 min
Starting sometime around our mid-50s, work presents us with a new set of biases. Coworkers assume that older people are tired and uninterested in professional development. Eventually they start asking when you’re going to retire. But experience and maturity can give women an advantage in the workplace.
Amy B. and Amy G. interview aging expert Nancy Morrow-Howell about putting in the effort to stay current, how to assert yourself when you feel overlooked, and what to say when people ask that annoying retirement question. Then, HBR.org editor Maureen Hoch joins the Amys to talk about what growing older has been like for them. They also give advice on leaving a secure job for new opportunities and managing the combined stress of parenting, a demanding career, and menopause.
Our HBR reading list:
- “When No One Retires,” by Paul Irving
- “The Case for Hiring Older Workers,” by Josh Bersin and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
- “Four Ways to Adapt to an Aging Workforce,” by Michael North and Hal Hershfield
- “Generational Differences At Work Are Small. Thinking They’re Big Affects Our Behavior,” by Eden King et al.
Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.
Email us: [email protected]
Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.
Starting sometime around our mid-50s, work presents us with a new set of biases. Coworkers assume that older people are tired and uninterested in professional development. Eventually they start asking when you’re going to retire. But experience and maturity can give women an advantage in the workplace.
Amy B. and Amy G. interview aging expert Nancy Morrow-Howell about putting in the effort to stay current, how to assert yourself when you feel overlooked, and what to say when people ask that annoying retirement question. Then, HBR.org editor Maureen Hoch joins the Amys to talk about what growing older has been like for them. They also give advice on leaving a secure job for new opportunities and managing the combined stress of parenting, a demanding career, and menopause.
Our HBR reading list:
- “When No One Retires,” by Paul Irving
- “The Case for Hiring Older Workers,” by Josh Bersin and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
- “Four Ways to Adapt to an Aging Workforce,” by Michael North and Hal Hershfield
- “Generational Differences At Work Are Small. Thinking They’re Big Affects Our Behavior,” by Eden King et al.
Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.
Email us: [email protected]
Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.
Previous Episode
Navigating Conflict
We all face conflict at work. Maybe it’s a boss who took all the credit for your project or a colleague who keeps going over your head to get more resources. In these situations, some of us shy away from having a disagreement, and some of us dig right into the difficult conversation. Whatever your natural tendency is, dealing with conflict is a crucial skill to succeed at work. It can lead to higher job satisfaction, stronger relationships with colleagues, and innovation.
In this live show we explore how conflict shows up at work and what to do when it does: how to assess the situation, prepare for and have a productive conversation, and get to a resolution. Our guest, an expert on leadership and innovation, shares insights from her experiences; and we take audience questions about when it’s OK to agree to disagree, how to handle conflict when you or your colleague work remotely, and other scenarios.
Our HBR reading list:
- The HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, by Amy Gallo
- “Calming Your Brain During Conflict,” by Diane Musho Hamilton
- “Why We Should Be Disagreeing More at Work,” by Amy Gallo
- “Get Over Your Fear of Conflict,” by Amy Jen Su
- “Resolve a Fight with a Remote Colleague,” by Amy Gallo
Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.
Email us: [email protected]
Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.
Next Episode
When You Work in a Male-Dominated Industry
Being treated like an outsider. Feeling like you have to prove yourself. Struggling to make your voice heard. Whether it’s overt discrimination or more subtle forms of bias, male-dominated industries like engineering can pose challenges for women. Research shows that even well-meaning mentors direct female engineers into less technical, less valued roles. It’s no wonder so many women end up leaving the industry.
We talk to a professor and two students at Olin College of Engineering about their experiences working among mostly men, what it means to “play nice,” and how male colleagues can help (listen!). Then we talk to an expert about how to evaluate a company’s gender culture before you accept a job and how to stay true to your career goals when other people think they know what’s best for you.
Our HBR reading list:
- “The Subtle Stressors Making Women Want to Leave Engineering,” by M. Teresa Cardador and Brianna Barker Caza
- “The Problem of Visibility for Women in Engineering, and How They Manage It,” by Dulini Fernando et al.
- “How the Imagined ‘Rationality’ of Engineering Is Hurting Diversity — and Engineering,” by Joan C. Williams and Marina Multhaup
- “Why Do So Many Women Who Study Engineering Leave the Field?” by Susan S. Silbey
- “What Managers Can Do to Keep Women in Engineering,” by Dulini Fernando et al.
Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.
Email us: [email protected]
Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.
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