Viața (re)începe după 50 de ani: cum să-ți pui înțelepciunea la treabă

by Chip Conley, Dana Verescu (trad.)

La 52 de ani, Chip Conley și-a vândut compania – Joie de Vivre Hospitality, al doilea lanț de hoteluri boutique din America – pe care a fondat-o și a condus-o ca director executiv timp de douăzeci și patru de ani și s-a reinventat, contribuind la transformarea companiei Airbnb în cea mai mare platformă online de cazări alternative din lume. Într-o lume care venerează noutatea și tinerețea, Conley a mizat pe experiența acumulată în prima parte a vieții profesionale, iar acum ne împărtășește această aventură în cartea de faţă. Este o pledoarie pentru regăsirea valorilor tradiționale în epoca digitală: inteligența emoțională, discernământul, capacitatea de a colabora, înțelepciunea care vine odată cu înaintarea în vârstă. „Bătrânii Moderni“, fie că e vorba de cei care-și schimbă cariera la mijlocul vieții sau de cei care amână pensionarea, pot deveni astfel un atu al oricărei companii, ca mentori și „antrenori“ ai directorilor sau colegilor mai tineri care, la rândul lor, îi îndrumă în hățișul tehnologic. Un dialog intergenerațional plin de optimism și de speranță.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Personal Development, Self Help, Audiobook, Psychology

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2018

About the author

At the age of 26, Chip Conley started his own hospitality company, Joie de Vivre (JDV), and, as CEO for two-dozen years, expanded it into a collection of over 35 award-winning hotels, restaurants and spas – the second largest boutique hotel company in the U.S. The bestselling author of PEAK, Chip is a veteran practitioner of emotional intelligence in business and in his latest book, EMOTIONAL EQUATIONS, he takes us from emotional intelligence to emotional fluency. The preeminent thought leader at the intersection of psychology and business, Chip speaks around the world on finding meaning at work, is a regular blogger on The Huffington Post and his own blog at http://www.emotionalequations.com . Chip has been honored with the highest accolade in the American hospitality industry, the coveted ISHC Pioneer award, and was named the Most Innovative CEO – and JDV the "2nd Best Place to Work" – in the entire Bay Area by The San Francisco Business Times. He received his BA and MBA from Stanford University, and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Psychology from Saybrook Graduate School & Research Center, where he is the school’s 2012 Scholar-Practitioner in residence.

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating and surprising book. This is an intricate and intriguing 'rebooting' for new and older workers. Noting that the conventional pathway - education, work, retirement - is now redundant, how can we create new models for learning, working and living?

Some great strategies and models are offered in this book. It is a book of 're-visioning' and provides new modes and methods to summon a different type of workforce, and a different type of worker.

Recommended. Fascinating.

[Bob Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another MBA, another business book. It was probably a decent article that just got padded with anecdotes about how wonderful the author is and quotes from famous people. I only finished it because my book club wanted to discuss it. Save your time.

[David Escobar Arango · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con el cambio demográfico y el aumento de la longevidad, tanto trabajadores como empresas debemos adaptarnos. ¿Qué debemos hacer los primeros para desarrollar sabiduría y luego ponerla al servicio de los demás?

[Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this one for review from NetGalley.

Wisdom at Work provides invaluable insights for professionals at any age. Chip Conley discusses his time working with Airbnb as both an advisor and intern and how he had to overcome the severe dichotomy that exists between "millennials" and "baby boomers". He argues that we need to bring back the idea of mentors in order to overcome some of the ageism that exists in the workplace and I have to agree with him. In order for younger generations to thrive while beginning their careers and older generations to continue thriving, both need to come together and recognize that they each have a lot to offer the other.

His examples of older adults providing guidance to start up companies in Silicon Valley offered the most insight that I've seen when talking about ageism in the workplace and how to get past it. This is definitely one that I'm going to purchase a hard copy of once it is released and I know I'll continue to come back to it year after year. I enjoyed the tips that he offers while also providing real world examples of older adults joining new companies. I'm still not a fan of the "if I can do it then anyone can" mentality, but overall I felt that this particular career advice book has a lot to offer and would definitely recommend it.

[Jenn "JR" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chip Conley's first hand experiences were fascinating and fun to read. He skillfully intertwines his observations with information from readings on happiness, aging, workplace engagement and success and accounts from other professionals who also reinvented themselves after mid-life.

Keeping a beginner's mind, or attitude of lifelong learning, is key to successfully aging. As Chip points out - we have more older people than ever before - people are living longer PLUS the Boomers were a pretty big cohort. We no longer have an entire generation retiring at once and leaving homogenous generations in control of workplaces and government.

We do still have outdated cultural perspectives on the value of elders and the work they do. I'm not even 50 and have already felt this in my job search process where many Millennials are barely able to disguise their disgust/hostility toward me.

Older workers have valuable skills that can help younger workers, and vice versa. Younger workers are "digital natives" while older workers have a lifetime of knowledge and experiences that have given them stronger EQ, and as neuroscience is demonstrating, subconsciously stored information allows elders to tap into a "gut" instinct.

In addition to recommendations for "Becoming an Age-Friendly Employer" - Chip also provides an excellent appendix with lists of books, articles, videos and even step-by-step instructions for figuring out your next transition as a modern elder.

While we make an adjustment to figure out how to integrate multiple generations in the workplace, and the increasing demand for meaningfulness in work - perhaps this will result in workplaces that better support the people who make any business possible -- dare we wish for a 4 day work week, or shorter, more focused workdays (aside from retail or food service - what white collar workers really spend 8 focused hours on work?). The days of pretending that there's a separation between work life and personal life are nearing an end -- and we all need to understand how to better integrate our values, talents and time across everything we do in a way that supports our income-generating and life-supporting activities. Tapping into the wisdom of elders is a great initial phase!

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts off as the title would suggest, describing older workers as mentors to other employees based on their extensive experience. That covers the first half of the book. The last half is a traditional how to find a job when you are older book. I’ve read lots of those, and this is just another one. While the first part was somewhat unique, and of personal interest, there wasn’t much there that I found of personal value. The author uses his own experience, relating many anecdotes of his career in the hospitality industry and of being an older mentor to many employees at AirBnB, including the management team. This was certainly an ego-boosting exercise for the author, as he shared how he was able to provide value to his new employer through his experience. The problem is that this really is at the top level of an organization, one that has a lot of money they are willing to invest in getting some experienced advice. This certainly isn’t a common situation.

So while the first half of the book was about a situation that seems quite rare and personally out of reach, and the second half repeated job finding advice I’m over familiar with, I still enjoyed this. The author’s stories about how AirBnB operates, and how he was able to bring his own hotel experience to play were interesting. I also noticed that in the audiobook version, the author narrated. As he read the chapter headings, which included one or two quotes related to the topic at hand, the author sheepishly would say something like, “This and all other chapters start with some quotes, and the first one is….”. I’ve not run across a narrator explaining what is on a page to that level before, and I’m guessing the author doesn’t listen to a lot of audiobooks. But that personable way to explain his book was very human – I liked it.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) (Audiobook) With an aging workforce and the rise of talented, but very young and inexperienced bosses, is there a place for the experience of the older, but perhaps less-tech savvy worker? According to this book, yes. In what reads as another business recommendation book, this work highlights how companies can and should leverage their older workers to help and maximize company performance. Granted, the author is speaking from the perspective of upper/middle management, so it may not apply to all workers, but there are lessons that people can take from this work. For the older worker, it offers a guide and some hope for how to evolve and thrive in the newer work world. In particular, mentorship and experience are key assets the older, wiser (maybe) worker brings to the table. For the younger worker, this explains that yes, the elder workers can and do have a role to play. Given that I am moving towards the older realm, it speaks to me a bit more. Perhaps another in a series of business books that in 5 years, no one will much remember, but it does offer some timely and relevant lessons for the reader to take. Audio or hard copy will rate the same.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author recognizes an interesting niche in the workplace; the multigenerational workforce; we are getting older, and work longer; more generations than ever will be working together at the same time, the millenial and later generations find themselves at a cultural and mindset-type remove from their boomer and gen X colleagues; enter the stage for 'the sage'; the Obi-wan kenobis and Gandalfs of the modern workplace; the Modern Elder (or Model as the author coins the term); everyone can get older but not everyone can be elder; recommended.

[Hanan Al Mahmoud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and optimistic. Leaves you in high spirits anticipating the future, with a set of great tools to guarantee continued learning and adaptability. A little too many stories for my liking but I understand how they can add value to some. Appendix is both useful and cute :)

[George Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The right book at the right time. I’m facing the beginning of this period of my life in my industry and am pondering what my value to my work is now that I’m not as young as I used to be.

[Damien Valenti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty well-written. Focus a little too much on what elders can do and not enough on how to tap talents of elders.

[PD · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Timely concept in our current generational shift. The aging/retiring demographic has so much to offer.

Good anecdotes. But perhaps too long. Also, could have bit clearer on the intended audience: the person in their 50s thinking about what might be next, or the 30s manager/executive seeking wise “menterns” (mentor-intern). Which groups needs the most convincing?

[Tom Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard Chip on NPR and he seemed to a pretty inspiring guy, so what the heck, I made the impulse purchase. The overarching idea, I guess, is it's valuable to develop and nurture strong cross-generational connections. Old people can provide advice and guidance to younger people, and younger people can teach old people new skills. Though the focus of this book is on business the same concept extends to our social and emotional needs. Great premise. I'm onboard. But the book soon really, really depressed me for two reasons. One, on every page or two I was told variations of, "50 isn't even that old." I never thought it was but by the 50th reminder, I started to wonder if maybe it is kinda old. Crap! I'm 54! Crap! Stop saying that! Please, Stop! The other thing that was really unmotivating is the examples he uses are people who were super accomplished high flyers, usually working for a high flying company, who are making (or have made) super inspiring high-flying mid-life changes only available to them because they're sort of already rock stars. What about Joe Schmoe in Accounting? What does he do when he turns 50? This book doesn't really offer him much hope. Sigh. This guy talks a good game and I don't question his motivations. My advice though—save your money and just make an effort to talk to, learn from, value, and be cool to people not in your age group.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The word retirement derives from the Middle French language meaning to go off into seclusion.

32% of the workforce in 2012 was fifty or older.

There are three peaks in life: physical, in your early twenties; economic, in your forties and fifties, and human, which happens later in life.

Think of yourself as a sundial. In the morning, as the sun rises, you cast a long shadow in one direction, As the morning continues, your shadow gets shorter and shorter until, at noon, you cast no shadow at all, with the sun being directly overhead. By midlife we can completely lose the sense of who we are because we may be trying to live someone else's image of us. But in the afternoon of life we begin to cast a shadow again.

"As we move to the finish line, we think less about time gone by and more about time well spent."

[Rich Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

After acclimating to a litany of quotes from other authors, and the addition of new words the author applies to things that don't need new words, I found the big idea of the book endlessly fascinating; you're more valuable as you get older, if. In a paradigm-shifting argument, Conley parlays his good fortune of being approached by the founders of Airbnb into a new work model for those feeling pushed by a younger generation. From there, my thoughts are purely subjective. However, the wide reach of the book's contents can only serve as a new Northish star for those who still believe in a 'three phases of life existence.'

[Mish Middelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a great recipe for a kind of intergenerational collaboration that has largely been lost in advanced western economies. It is a really important and valuable contribution to our understanding of the roles of both youth and eldership in business - and life in general. Drawing on the popular 2015 movie "The Intern," Conley proposes a win-win for businesses: hire elders in the dual roles of mentor and intern - a hybrid role he dubs "mentern."

Older people (like myself) can add value to businesses as mentors. There is something about having breathed many breaths, a presence and groundedness that can really help today's innovative fast-paced businesses, from startups to global mega-corporations.

And yet, unless elders also approach the mentor assignment with humility and curiosity and willingness to learn from younger people - taking on an intern role like in the movie - we are going to be irrelevant and irritating. Failure as an intern will predicate failure as a mentor. As Conley rightly says "just because you are older doesn't mean you are necessarily wiser."

So that's the core proposition to both elders and the younger people who are running modern businesses - engage elders both to learn from those who are much younger and to share wisdom and guidance from the place of experience.

The book goes through a lot of detailed lists of behaviours and actions for all parties and both roles (mentors and interns). And it abounds with case studies - storytelling about successes and failures in the building of modern eldership, including but by no means limited to the author's own experience as a "modern elder" in the building and scaling of AirBNB.

Where it could be better, in my opinion, is to practice a bit more of the humility that is included in the checklist for modern elders. The authorial voice scarcely skips a page without reminding us that (a) Chip Conley is great and (b) AirBNB is great. I, for one, would have engaged more with the book if the author blew his own trumpet a bit less. And I also have a preference for fewer checklists.

I believe modern eldership is hugely important, not just to business but to our species. And I believe it is more of a humble art than a triumphant science.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Are you sure you want to work again?" "It looks like you've been an entrepreneur before but it may not have worked out. How can we be sure you're truly committed to us if we hire you?"

If you are middle-aged and have fielded these questions in a job interview, this book is for you! (PS: I've never been asked if I'm an "entrepreneur.")

Here's the sentence that sums the book up: "If there's one quality I believe defines wisdom in the workplace more than any other, it is the capacity of holistic or systems thinking that allows one to get the 'gist' of something by synthesizing a wide variety of information quickly."

I mean, Conley is a 50-something white entrepreneur (I think self-made? he doesn't get into how he started his first business) who has every advantage of that status when he accepts a job at Airbnb -- with next to no technology experience -- to bring his hospitality experience to the (then) growing company. So it's difficult to look past that privilege while reading "Wisdom @ Work." (PS: I was reading Rebecca Traister's "Good and Mad" as I dipped in and out of this book: my third eye was WIDE OPEN.)

That pushed aside, here's what I'll say:
- Conley uses loads of examples of successful people reinventing their careers, and it feels like he interviews as many female entrepreneurs as male for this book. (This is required of us all -- I'm not celebrating, rather reporting this box checked.)
- Conley is a very good writer and likely a terrific "performer." ($5 says he's done a great TED Talk -- but my third eye would explode if I watched it just now.)
- Conley reminds us how important and satisfying it is to build alliances, foster mutual support systems, and learn across generational lines. Yes. (So so so many more lines out there....)

In conclusion: Because of where my head is at about my work just now, which is reflected in this book's main idea, I'm aware of my professional "wisdom" status. I'm also much more explicit about what I want to learn from others who exhibit a "wisdom" -- especially those "kids" in the office. Yes I was self-helped, but this could have been a 2,000-word Medium post.

[Writemoves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the theoretical aspect of the book that an older person like myself could continue my working life by serving as a mentor using my experience and skills that I have gained over the years. I liked the concept that there are companies and management actively seeking people in their 50s and 60s to help guide their younger employees and managers. The author is a successful CEO and my guess is that his experience in attracting opportunities for projects and work would be much higher than mine and most other people. However his book did serve a purpose in encouraging older people like myself to continue to learn and seek new and different opportunities whether they are in the workplace or in travel, hobbies and social activities.

My notes below:

"If there is one quality I believe defines wisdom in the workplace more than any other, it is the capacity for holistic or systems thinking that allows one to get the "gist"of something by synthesizing a wide variety of information quickly."

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."

"Perennials are ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who know what's happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages.We get involved, stay curious, mentor others, and are passionate, compassionate, creative, confident, collaborative, global minded risktakers."

Superagers– –those who see almost no cognitive decline with age, tend to have something in common: they consistently work on difficult tasks that require ambidextrous use of their mind.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The generational dynamics of today’s four generations deep work force has inspired a number of recent works about ageism. Conley’s book is a personal foray into this delicate issue and offers positive advice for professionals who desire to age well in life without succumbing to the false narrative that maturity brings impediments to meaningful life and work.

Following his own journey from being a young entrepreneur in the boutique hotelier world to a redefined sage/mentor in the youthful techie scene at AirBnB, Conley offers sound advice for both companies and aging individuals seeking an inclusive culture. His work is bolstered by impressive research (he read 150 books plus many articles and interviews) and has a well-reasoned approach to what is the USA’s largest working demographic (50+).

As someone who has walked this same path of redefining my organization identity, I found the book helpful and prescient. It is upbeat but not idealistic. The recommendations offered are not abstract but are taken from concrete business models that are committed to fostering a multigenerational organization. Furthermore, a real bonus is the annotated appendix that offers a plethora of resources for those wanting to delve deeper into this subject.

[Rend · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars not because anything is wrong with the book, per se, but bc it's not super relevant to my life as a physician. Definitely if you work in an organization or corporation, this may be more up your alley. It's about utilizing your skills and wisdom from age 50 and up to transition into the role of a "modern elder" and ways to make that into a second career.

Some of the advice and concepts are really good and can be applied to aspects of one's personal life in those years, as well. Those were the elements I found most relatable.

In the current political climate, I did struggle with his various mentions of Israel (friends from there, etc) because many of these white self-help thought leaders talk about compassion and kindness, while either tacitly or directly speaking positively about a settler colonial state that wreaks oppression on the earth. It's a very hard cognitive dissonance to overlook. And probably not a coincidence that many of them have reached the levels of fame they have, while writers/thinkers of color have not achieved such "successes." But I digress.

[Ties · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this at mid thirty I was hoping for some perspective on and guidance for my professional road ahead, insight in what's to come. It didn't really offer that.

This book shares various (but tech heavy) stories of people that managed to make a difference in the second part of their careers (post mid life). It doesn't really offer a central philosophy or paradigm for this second stage, it just shares benefits and examples. As if a rationally thinking person actually needs to be reminded that someone with 30 years of work experience has something to offer.

So, I think it's too obvious that it's worth it to include 'elders' in your company and to play to their strengths. This book is only for those that really don't get that. Or for midlifers looking for inspiration on how to get to that next phase. Perhaps they will rate it higher than me.

[Kevin Eikenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world with people from four generations in the workplace, understanding how you can best contribute can be hard. For the older ranks at work, it might be hard to adjust as the “digital natives” begin to lead. Chip Conley suggests that the world for mid-career workers can be more exciting. They can be a more important part of any team with a few shifts in thinking.

Conley proposes that there are powerful roles and opportunities for the mid-career professional. Namely, that of “a modern elder.” An elder, rather than being elderly, is one who can provide experience, perspective, and yes, wisdom to others. When a person combines those attributes with genuine curiosity and the willingness to continue to learn, they become the modern elder this book discusses.

Read more...

[Ashly Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I didn’t read this for a book club, I may not have finished the whole thing. As it were, I skimmed the last few chapters. At first, I was highlighting and making notes all over, drawing in various thoughts and experiences to the text. By the end of this book, I was slightly bored and felt like I was reading the same thing again and again. What threw me off the most was the list of how employers can become more age-friendly. That chapter in general did not seem to fit with the rest in that it was very employer driven where the rest was more employee driven to me. I didn’t connect with the content as much which made the last few chapters more difficult for me. I’m sure I would get more out of this is I read it again in a few years.

[Frieda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main theme of the book is that with life comes experiences and wisdom and this wisdom should be shared with the younger generations. Once we reach mid-life, we realize how strong our soft skills are. We exhibit better judgement, possess high levels of emotional intelligence and empathy, hold deeper insight and self-awareness. These few traits are incredibly necessary as AI takes a firm place in our society.

Essentially, the author encourages people to embrace middle-age and use that to their advantage when assisting younger generations. The old stereotype of “being old with one foot in the nursing home” isn’t really relevant anymore – especially for those who still have so much to give and still want to achieve.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chip Conley writes about being a baby boomer in a tech startup called Airbnb. Conley sold his business and quit his job as a hotelier after the Subprime Mortgage bubble burst. One of the founders of Airbnb called Conley in as an advisor, and Conley accepted the position.

"Wisdom @ Work" is a manifesto against Ageism. It provides comprehensive advice on making your business more open and accepting to people of all ages. Just because someone is old, it does not automatically make them useless. Older people can bring insight and a different perspective to an issue.

This book is not what I expected, but it turned out to be pretty good.

[Alan Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very relevant book for anyone in the workplace , but especially useful for those who are 40+ and may even be drifting, unsure of what their future careers / life looks like. This is a heartfelt book by someone who genuinely cares about the topic of staying relevant in the workplace and - to a broader degree - in society as you age. The author, chip, focuses on the archetype of the sage and wisdom as a huge value add for society and businesses, and how this should be fostered, celebrated, and utilised to its full potential, providing ‘modern elders’ with a clear sense of purpose. A highly enlightening and heartening book that connect to Chips broader work on this subject.

[Sue Ronnenkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting book and one I’d recommend for anyone seeking ideas for fit and purpose pre-retirement and beyond. This book was also a reminder that I can always learn something new about growing older WELL - even with all the many years I’ve spent researching and living this experience myself, along with all my role models and the awesome elder trailblazers I’ve been privileged to meet and know. Planning to go back over all the sections of the books I highlighted and marked - and will keep pondering how I can best put Chip’s ideas and insights into practice in the years ahead.

[Michelle Muellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audible and it was read by Chip Conley himself which I really appreciated. I was so inspired by this book that I turned around and listened to it a second time! The topic is so relevant to our society today as we have a never seen before elder population continue to work, contribute and be active well into old age. We need to focus more on the incredible possibilities of having our wise contributors be included more creatively into our work environment. Highly recommend!

[Kumar Raghavendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Chip has the premise that all elders are wise, I think he probably doesn't mean that and instead advises everyone to grow wise as they grow old so that they can continue to add value to the economy, continue to learn new skills, continue to help those around and make positive change. A key takeaway for me is that I'm likely to live another seventy years (like most people in my generation), and that I'll likely be active in the economy for fifty to sixty of those years. That's a long career ahead of me and it helps to keep that in perspective as I make decisions.

[Daniel Standage · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has some really good insights into the value that experience and emotional intelligence brings into the workplace, and how a deliberate “modern elder” can cultivate these. In other places, it seems like the author is talking only to tech-illiterate 60-somethings surrounded by 22 year olds in tech startups. I didn’t expect to relate with all the content in this book since I’m still in my 30s, but a lot of this is unlikely to ever be relevant for me.

It’s a mix of solid ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ content and disappointing ⭐️ ⭐️ content, so overall I give it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.