Conventional wisdom says it’s good to be young. That, by the time you’ve been around long enough to understand how everything works, you’re too old to enjoy it.
Well, I’m going to challenge that and take on an issue that’s become a personal and professional battleground for many of you.
You see, jobs are at a premium and it’s not at all clear which generation, if any, is being discriminated against. Baby boomers tell me their jobs are going to younger and cheaper talent. But the data shows that younger people have far higher levels of unemployment.
Besides the jobs thing, there’s all that hoopla over generation gaps and generational profiling - real, imagined, or otherwise - between our aging population of baby boomers and Generation X, Y, Z, and who knows what comes next.
Here’s how I’d like to approach this big hairy issue, if I may. It’s a question for the ages if there ever was one: Do People Get Better With Age?
To start the conversation, I thought I’d list what, about you and me, gets better with age and what doesn’t. See what you think:
What gets better with age?
Experience. Now, experience may be overrated as a criteria for hiring and promoting, as we previously discussed, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever a bad thing. We gain confidence from our successes and learn real life lessons from our failures. It’s all good.
Management ability. For the vast majority, competence, functional skill, decision-making, most of the necessary ingredients for good management practice improves with age and, of course, experience.
Leadership ability. Confidence, humor, humility, empathy, virtually all leadership characteristics seem to improve with age. That’s why CEOs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became better leaders as they “grew up.”
Men. This is sure to be a controversial one, but, for the most part, men remain immature longer and tend to grow up much later than women do, at least in my experience. Simply put, I think men tend to become better people with age.
Comfort in your own skin. I guess temperament and maturity go along with that pretty well. The very act of growing up, getting experience under your belt, and getting to know yourself, people, and how the world works, tends to help most of us feel more comfortable in our own skin. At least, that’s the theory.
What gets worse with age?
Stamina. Whatever you do for a living or for fun, you can’t do it for as long as you used to, that’s for sure.
Staying in shape. On two separate occasions, in response to compliments about how good they looked, two aging, well-known silicon valley executives told me the same thing, “You have no idea how much it takes to look this good at my age.” Yup, it’s true.
Health. Allergies, eyes, hair, skin, joints, pain. I can go on and on about this, but it’s pretty straightforward that things don’t work as well as they used to, that’s for sure.
Hangovers. Yup, it’s a fact, older people just can’t party like they used to. The unfortunate result of a slowing metabolism.
Memory. I’m pretty sure this is biological fact, but I’m definitely sure you’ll let me know if I’m wrong.
Adaptability. This may be a myth; I’m not really sure. Still, I had to throw it in here and see what happens. It’s certainly age-old wisdom that we become more set in our ways, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, that sort of thing. It clearly doesn’t apply to everyone and all things, but it might be a fairly accurate generalization.
That’s where I am on the debate. On the whole, I’d say that it’s a pretty mixed bag. That said, while the body does tend to deteriorate, personal and professional growth - in terms of ability, experience, competence, emotional intelligence, all that good stuff - would seem to more than compensate.
So, I’m going to come down on the side of aging being more or less a good thing. What do you think?
Related posts:
Gen Y: Solve Your Own Damn Workplace Issues
Why Generational Profiling is Bad Management
The Gender Pay Gap is a Complete Myth
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Radiance of the Seas remodel lives up to ship's name. Royal Caribbean cruise ship leaves Victoria in tip-top shape
By Phil Reimer, for Postmedia News
My first impression after boarding Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas in Victoria was that the ship was being decommissioned.
While the outside of the ship had not changed, at that point, the inside public areas were virtually gutted.
It turned out that Radiance, the oldest in of the Radiance Class ships, was being remodelled -refurbishing is a word that does not do it justice.
Built in 2001, the 2,500-passenger ship was taking on many of the successful features you will find on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, the two biggest cruise ships in the world.
It can take months to remodel a home. However, when you have $30 million to spend and 1,000 workers at your service, you would be amazed at what can be accomplished in 21 days. When you add up the projects, there were 1,000, some lasting a few days, others lasting a few hours. With military precision, the Victoria Shipyard made it on time for the remodelled ship's first cruise to Alaska on June 10. This was also a chance for the yard to show off to the federal government, in hopes of getting a piece of the $35 billion earmarked for new and remodelled ships for the navy, and beyond, over the next few decades.
Radiance of the Seas was also being remodelled to save money. With a new special paint on the bottom of its hull and a few changes to the propulsion system, it will save 5,500 gallons of fuel a week.
This makeover is all part of the "Royal Advantage" program, which is being undertaken for older members of Royal Caribbean's fleet. Splendor of the Seas is next.
Radiance added seven new restaurants during its stay in dry dock and, yes, some have a price attached. Samba's, a Brazilian Churrasco-style restaurant -think meat -is $25 for dinner only. Giovanni's Table, for Italian dining, is $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner. Izumi, fashionably Asian Fusion, has à la carte pricing. The Park Cafe deli, the "Dog House" for those who love hotdogs, the Quill and Compass Pub, and Rita's Cantina's, a Mexican restaurant, are all part of your cruise price. Also opening will be the Chef's Table, at $95, one of the most expensive restaurants at sea and with room for only 16 guests each night. For your money, you get five courses and complimentary wine.
There's more. All staterooms will be refurbished with new flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi in the cabins and all public areas. The public areas are getting miles and miles of new carpet. The pool was in the process of getting a new deck and the movie screen was bigger: 15 feet by 30 feet. It will be used for movies at night, specials and major sports events.
When it heads south for the winter, Radiance of the Seas will have a series of itineraries that include 12-night trips from Sydney to the South Pacific, including Nouméa, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, as well as the traditional 14-night cruises to New Zealand.
Thumping Canada's chest here, all the senior managers on this project were lavish in their praise of the Canadian workers. The captain, Claus Andersen, raved especially about the quality of the work being performed. That's high praise from a crew that works with shipyards around the world.
As for what it costs to cruise on this remodelled Radiance, here's one example: Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage), seven days, Sept. 2, $739.
Visit portsandbows.com for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information.
Phil can be contacted directly at portsandbows@gmail.com.
~ Sounds wonderful............!
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