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When was the last time you did a search on Google to find useful information? Or, are you now using Bing as your decision engine? Whatever search tool you use, it has become common practice to search the Internet to find everything from a plumber to a movie time to the closest Italian restaurant. With the I-phone and the latest handheld technology, it gets easier every day as long as you know what to look for. We also have to become savvy searchers as not all the information we need is on the first page of our search results. I decided to look for “retirement planning tools” and came up with a very extensive list. Let me give you the first six sites.

• Fidelity Retirement Income Planner
• Financial Engines
• Morningstar Retirement Planner
• Vanguard Retirement Calculator
• T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Calculator
• ES Planner Plus

Great, but not what I was looking for. These are all financial planning sites to help you calculate how much you should be saving, for how long, and at what rate. All good information – but not what I was looking for.

I was more interested in obtaining advice on the many other things that have to be considered in retirement. What am I going to do to continue to stretch my mind? Where am I going to stay? What hobbies can I work on? What about the family? What experiences do I seek out when I travel? These and many other questions are not answered in the sites I mentioned above. To find this information you need to dig deeper into the web. You still will have a hard time finding what you want unless you look at the Career Partners New Horizons coaching program. Not only does this program help you to categorize various retirement planning areas, but it also helps you highlight where you most need to focus your attention to have a happy and productive retirement. Don’t get me wrong – money is important, but money does not always make people happy. New Horizons retirement planning is a great investment of your time and energy.

As always I am interested to hear if you find something better.

Jim Davidson

Have the bad economy and the associated belt-tightening, layoffs, and furloughs totally distracted you from the impending crisis you were thinking about a couple of years ago? How will your company fare if and when the economy recovers and an avalanche of baby boomer retirements occurs?  Do you have any idea whether you can really count on them staying longer because of the damage done to retirement portfolios?

We are proud to announce and introduce Sherri Elliott as the new President of Optimance Workforce Strategies.  Sherri immediately strengthens the Optimance team.  We will now enjoy expanded capabilities to provide an integrated range of time and cost saving business solutions.  Sherri and the OWS team will deliver Human Resource audits, compliance, outsourcing, recruiting and training programs.

 Jim Davidson and Dr. Ira Wolfe

On a recent Southwest flight their “Numbers” article caught my attention. Now in our third year of running our Age Impact Seminar programs centenarians had never been mentioned. Here was new information. The story read that the number of centenarians living in the United States will rise to 160,000 by 2017, making the 100-plus the fastest growing segment of the population. That means that as many as 1 to 3 million of the nation’s 76 million baby boomers will have a shot at hearing Willard Scott announce their names on the today show. The odds are even better for whippersnappers. Experts predict that 1 in 10 girls and 1 in 20 boys born today will live to see 100. 

Our speaker at the first Age Impact Seminar in 2008 was further able to explain the impact of these numbers. Dr Ira Wolfe, President of Poised for the Future Company and author of The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0, provided some startling facts for all of us to consider. As an individual, employer, Boomer, X”er or Civic I think you will be challenged by his information. 

Do you agree with it? What can you do about it? What are your thoughts about his concluding questions? We look forward to your feedback. 

Click on the following link to access his presentation page and then download the Optimance pdf. 

www.perfectlaborstorm.com/Downloads/PLS2_optimance.pdf

The headlines offer lots of free advice.  There are many articles focused on how each of us can be smarter, happier, and healthier in 2008.  Some articles are focused on our money and what we ought to do with it.  Some articles are focused on our bad habits and how we can fix ourselves.  Then we have articles focused on how we use and waste our time. 

It’s the time issue that struck me as relevant today.  At our most recent Age Impact series, the question of how one leader used her time started a conversation.  What are some time management behaviors that seem to separate top leaders from others?  How do the best managers utilize their own limited time? 

The best take the time to manage down.  Top leaders take the time to connect with subordinates.  The best managers take the time to listen to those working for them.  Top leaders know what subordinates are thinking.

We have witnessed falling leaders and managers when they’ve lost touch with their subordinates.  We’ve seen leaders lose out when they’re focused entirely on their own superiors.  We’ve seen managers lose support from lack of communication with subordinates.

Sherri Elliott, SPHR of the Elliott Consulting Group, reports that exceptional leaders are rare.  “Leaders need to see the organization from the employee’s perspective.  They need to make it easy and rewarding for employees to express themselves and their ideas, and they need to figure out how and when to delegate responsibility.  Keeping your employees in the dark is not a good measure of control, it creates distrust, and managerial silence needs to be eliminated.” 

“It has been my experience that many leaders fail to recognize the positive impact of sharing their great moments–often called challenges or perceived failings,” says Sharon Roberts of Roberts & Roberts, Executive Team Development.  Sharon indicates “I urge leaders to immediately begin encouraging their subordinates.  It is so important for leaders to be totally present when interacting with an employee whatever the amount of time is allocated.”

What do you think?  Is it appropriate for managers and leaders to spend 20% of their time, 40% of their time, or 60% of their time connecting with subordinates?   Should managers set aside a portion of their schedule for subordinates?  What portion of each day should leaders dedicate to subordinates?  Would you agree that managing down is critical?

Here’s to better leaders in 2008.

Dr Ira Wolfe will present the next Age Impact Seminar at Gleneagles on January 22^nd 2008

The NEW word for RETIREMENT should match the new activity level. What is that word?