Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2018 44 R ecently, I met Judy Wicks, a self-identified Baby Boomer who decided she wanted to do something different with her retirement, noting that many boomers begin traveling and taking cruises once they've got the time away from their primary work life. At a recent Social Venture Network conference, she shared that for herself, this felt like "going on vacation in the middle of World War II — there's plenty of work that needs to be done at home." Based in Philadelphia, Judy founded the Circle of Aunts and Uncles, which pairs experienced entrepreneur mentors with "nieces and nephews" who want to start a business and are under- capitalized and/or could benefit from the close mentorship of those who've come before. I love this idea and practice because it creates a stronger local community, shares the good news of someone's creative ideas and work, and values both those who are more experienced and those who are diving in to something new. We have an opportunity to create a legacy inside our own businesses, too, and it's a way to pass along knowledge, wisdom and expertise, while allowing people to learn from each other. It's not just about the more experienced teaching the beginners, in a mentoring situation, both parties learn a lot about themselves, their industries and their work. Here are some ways that you can foster the legacy in your organization or business. • Customer service Creating opportunities to match high-touch with high tech is an easy way to create an environment for inter-generational mentoring. We know that customer delight is impacted by our ability to create relationships. And the modern consumer often demands convenience and ease in their buying experience. How can we offer both? What is the wisdom that can be shared from the legacy perspective about creating those long-term customer relationships while also providing ways for technology to support this practice? • Industry/product knowledge When our experienced workers and employees retire, they often take with them years' worth (and seemingly infinite amounts) of institutional knowledge, wisdom and expertise. They often are organizational historians, knowing all the background, back stories and past pitfalls of what has happened in their tenure. It's valuable not to repeat the same mistakes. It's also valuable to honor our inheritance of what's come before. Are there ways to connect your newer generation of employees to those nearing the end of their career or to invite those who've left to come back and mentor others? What can you identify as some of the most essential things to know about your industry or products and services that can help a newcomer thrive? • Professionalism Often, when we hire new employees, we have an unspoken expectation about professionalism and what it means to be a contributing, responsible person showing up at our workplace or getting involved in our projects. I never assume that anyone is damaged or ignorant, so this is not to suggest that people arrive without the skills of professionalism, but many of these things are learned over time—how to deal with successes and failures. How does one demonstrate resilience and flexibility, confrontation without creating conflict, and ways to resolve issues respectfully? These are often the hidden skillsets developed over time, with lots of trial and error in the most imperfect ways. Sometimes, you cannot prepare for these on-the-job learning opportunities, but there is wisdom in the lessons learned by those who've come before us. We love hosting 'critical issues' or 'courageous conversation' brown bag lunches or informal conversations. Offer those legacy folks an opportunity to share the "what I wish I'd known" lessons they've learned along the way. There is wisdom, hope, talent and infinite resources in bringing the different generations together. The sum is greater than the parts in the workplace, so it's a good idea to leverage these opportunities! LEAVING A LEGACY: INTER-GENERATIONAL MENTORING Libby Wagner Culture Coach RO Libby Wagner, author of The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business, works with clients to help them create and sustain Profit Cultures www.libbywagner.com

• Cover