Small Business Boomers

Boomer Strengths On The Job

by jim on February 17th, 2007

What business do you get into?  What kind of work do you do?  An important strategy is to play to your strengths.  What are the strengths that a boomer might bring to an enterprise that would give them some advantage?  The scientific study of the brain gives us some direction.  Friday, February 16th, the Wall Street Journal wrote an extensive science piece on aging, the brain and the related cognitive strengths of old brains (The Upside of Aging). It can give us some insight about where we might find success as we pursue new endeavors or just extend old one.

Scientific Background

Over the past several years scientists have been studying the brain and how it functions with the aid of new tools like the PET scan.  They can determine which parts of the brain do what.  Beyond that they can tell which parts of the brain stand up over time.  The relationships between these sets of facts give us boomers a clue about our mental strengths in relation to other generations.  I will not go into the details, but you should be able to pick them up by simply googling for it.

The article in the Journal goes into an extensive explanation with real life examples.  I recommend that you read it.

Netting It Out

The characteristics listed below are all proven to relate to changes in brain function as detected through such scientific techniques.  I found it interesting that science now has the facts to support the generalizations the human race has bestowed on it’s elders for eons.  These capabilities are not limits to be placed on older adults, boomers, just measured strengths.

• Semantic memory which deals in facts, figures, and vocabulary improves as we age because we get and retain more of them
• Cognitive templates that we develop over time to handle complex situations remain and grow with experience.
• Selective attention, the ability to focus and resist distraction remains.
• Because of experience fewer real life problems require deep thought or effort to solve.
• Age brings on the ability to better understand another’s thoughts and feelings, “an emotional wisdom”.
• An additional aspect of this wisdom is the ability to control our own negative emotions.
• There is also a heightened ability to judge another’s character.

Bottom Line

Always play to your strengths.  If you love what you’re doing keep doing it.  If you want to try something completely new use your strengths as a foundation to move forward.

I’ll use my wife in both examples.  Example one: When I asked her what she would do if she took early retirement from her teaching job she said that she would go out and get another teaching job.  I said, “Why retire?”  Now she says that they’ll have to pry the walker from her hands to get her out of that school.  Example two:  Three years ago my wife said to someone that she would love to take up the piano when she retired.  They replied, “Why wait?”  She takes piano lessons every Wednesday.

Assess your strengths.  Try something.  Learn from your short comings and try again.  Do it.

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POSTED IN: Being A Boomer, Boomer Talk, Health, Mindset