Retirement is a Heroic Journey – Part I

August 20th, 2010

Retirement is a heroic journey. Really.  It has all the elements of the classic heroic journey, although the story plays out differently for each person.  The heroic journey is the story that cultures throughout time have used to teach their members how to create or renew a life, a community or an organization.  An individual life is made up of a series of heroic journeys of which retirement is one of the most important.  Other journeys can be precipitated by a new job or career, losing a job, marriage or divorce, the death of a loved one, the birth of children, injury or illness, graduation from school, a move to a new community, etc.

Some journeys we initiate and some we don’t ask for, but blunder into or get thrown into.  Some are small and others are big and very challenging.  Some are very directed and some involve a lot of wandering.

Retirement, like all heroic journeys involves leaving a known world and going forth to meet a set of challenges.  Engaging those challenges is the way that we grow and become more whole – more mature and complete as people.  Those challenges are unique to each individual, but can be placed in five categories:

1.  Be the author of the experience and not the victim – even if starting out having been victimized.

2.  Let go of certain things – from roles and identity to relationships, habits and aspects of a life style.

3.  Discover and master new ways of being to replace what is ending and take advantage of opportunities that may open up

4.  Deal with “inbetweenity” – the strange land in between endings and beginnings, which can be both unsettling and exciting

5.  Manage with the “ripple effects” of the changes of retirement (impact on family, friends, groups) and realign all the elements of a life that have been altered

“PIES” – The four levels of challenge. Heroic journeys, like retirement, can test us physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.  Different journeys will test us in different ways.  Some retirement journeys will involve more physical challenges or emotional tests.  Others will be more intellectually or spiritually challenging.  Retirement is the kind of journey that has the potential to be very challenging in all four areas.

Next:  Challenge #1 – Be the Author

Part 1: Managing Resistance as an Asset

August 16th, 2010

Really.  I’m not psychotic. Most resistance is (1) healthy and not pathological and (2) information that is essential for leaders.  Resistance, particularly resistance early in a journey, is mostly about people taking care of themselves.  For example, they may be testing the proposed changes, testing leadership’s commitment, trying to determine the risks they face, trying to buy time to finish other priorities, get ready for more change, etc.  We ask a lot of people early in a change and resistance is rarely an indictment of leadership nor is it an indicator of problematic followers.

Resistance is essential to leaders. There are only three types of feedback for leaders:  ”yes”, “no” or no feedback at all.  Resistance is the “no” type of feedback.  Consider leading a change where the only information coming in is positive feedback.  Pretty scary, right?  It would scare me.  Resistance, when we are open to it and not threatened by it, provides the balance to the positive feedback and gives us a much more complete picture of our reality.  When we manage resistance as an essential asset, it keeps us from getting blindsided because we avoid the worst kind of feedback, which is no feedback.

Resistance is a chance to prove our worthiness as leaders. How we accept and respond to resistance tells people a great deal about how worthy we are of their commitment as followers.  Our response can tell them that we are not afraid, that we understand the challenges of the journey, that we understand those we are asking to follow us, and that we know what to do as the journey unfolds.

Resistance can keep us out of trouble. Resistance helps us ask ourselves, “Did we get it right when we designed the desired state we are pursuing?”  ”Is our leadership structure and plan for the journey what it needs to be?”  ”Have we really thought through the impact on people (and possibly other organizations)?”  ”What might we have missed and what are new factors that have emerged?”  What have we learned and what does that tell us about what to keep doing, start doing or stop doing?”

Next.  Part II:  The Key


Local, National and International Issues Test Entry

June 16th, 2010

by Gordon Barnhart

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Vivamus ac lacus non justo accumsan sodales ut sit amet mauris. Aliquam mauris enim, egestas vel bibendum vitae, fermentum id libero. Donec quis ante id metus porta lobortis vitae vitae libero. Mauris ullamcorper suscipit est vitae placerat. Ut aliquet mauris in dolor blandit rhoncus. Maecenas est diam, ullamcorper vel dictum eget, scelerisque in urna. Maecenas ac nisi at arcu tempus dignissim sit amet vehicula augue. Duis sed felis massa. Fusce auctor varius placerat. Mauris non tortor at neque ornare lobortis sed eu tortor. Suspendisse ullamcorper, sapien quis vehicula imperdiet, ante dolor viverra mauris, et egestas sapien odio lobortis ligula. Phasellus sollicitudin, mi ut eleifend varius, magna mi tincidunt lacus, non rutrum augue dolor at dui.

Leading Organizational and Community Journeys Test Title

June 16th, 2010

by Gordon Barnhart

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed porttitor risus at odio tincidunt a interdum diam laoreet. Mauris sagittis massa a turpis feugiat eget auctor leo cursus. Aliquam pulvinar, elit in viverra viverra, erat massa laoreet quam, vel fringilla turpis eros quis mauris. Ut ut eros vestibulum nisl vestibulum egestas vitae quis mauris. Integer adipiscing, dolor sed pharetra ornare, orci est pellentesque dolor, non gravida est enim vitae quam. Integer vel augue justo, non rhoncus dolor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla dapibus pharetra arcu, vitae bibendum tellus semper vel. Nullam et turpis velit. Nam vulputate dui eget nibh volutpat sagittis vel at metus. Pellentesque dolor justo, vestibulum vitae rutrum vitae, bibendum eu urna. Vivamus ut erat magna, at gravida leo. Nulla facilisi. Donec est odio, sodales vitae aliquam at, porttitor id elit.

Vivamus ac lacus non justo accumsan sodales ut sit amet mauris. Aliquam mauris enim, egestas vel bibendum vitae, fermentum id libero. Donec quis ante id metus porta lobortis vitae vitae libero. Mauris ullamcorper suscipit est vitae placerat. Ut aliquet mauris in dolor blandit rhoncus. Maecenas est diam, ullamcorper vel dictum eget, scelerisque in urna. Maecenas ac nisi at arcu tempus dignissim sit amet vehicula augue. Duis sed felis massa. Fusce auctor varius placerat. Mauris non tortor at neque ornare lobortis sed eu tortor. Suspendisse ullamcorper, sapien quis vehicula imperdiet, ante dolor viverra mauris, et egestas sapien odio lobortis ligula. Phasellus sollicitudin, mi ut eleifend varius, magna mi tincidunt lacus, non rutrum augue dolor at dui.

How to Manage Individual Journeys Test Entry

June 16th, 2010

by Gordon Barnhart

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed porttitor risus at odio tincidunt a interdum diam laoreet. Mauris sagittis massa a turpis feugiat eget auctor leo cursus. Aliquam pulvinar, elit in viverra viverra, erat massa laoreet quam, vel fringilla turpis eros quis mauris. Ut ut eros vestibulum nisl vestibulum egestas vitae quis mauris. Integer adipiscing, dolor sed pharetra ornare, orci est pellentesque dolor, non gravida est enim vitae quam. Integer vel augue justo, non rhoncus dolor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla dapibus pharetra arcu, vitae bibendum tellus semper vel. Nullam et turpis velit. Nam vulputate dui eget nibh volutpat sagittis vel at metus. Pellentesque dolor justo, vestibulum vitae rutrum vitae, bibendum eu urna. Vivamus ut erat magna, at gravida leo. Nulla facilisi. Donec est odio, sodales vitae aliquam at, porttitor id elit.

Vivamus ac lacus non justo accumsan sodales ut sit amet mauris. Aliquam mauris enim, egestas vel bibendum vitae, fermentum id libero. Donec quis ante id metus porta lobortis vitae vitae libero. Mauris ullamcorper suscipit est vitae placerat. Ut aliquet mauris in dolor blandit rhoncus. Maecenas est diam, ullamcorper vel dictum eget, scelerisque in urna. Maecenas ac nisi at arcu tempus dignissim sit amet vehicula augue. Duis sed felis massa. Fusce auctor varius placerat. Mauris non tortor at neque ornare lobortis sed eu tortor. Suspendisse ullamcorper, sapien quis vehicula imperdiet, ante dolor viverra mauris, et egestas sapien odio lobortis ligula. Phasellus sollicitudin, mi ut eleifend varius, magna mi tincidunt lacus, non rutrum augue dolor at dui.

Resources and Guest Articles Test Entry

June 16th, 2010

by Gordon Barnhart

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed porttitor risus at odio tincidunt a interdum diam laoreet. Mauris sagittis massa a turpis feugiat eget auctor leo cursus. Aliquam pulvinar, elit in viverra viverra, erat massa laoreet quam, vel fringilla turpis eros quis mauris. Ut ut eros vestibulum nisl vestibulum egestas vitae quis mauris. Integer adipiscing, dolor sed pharetra ornare, orci est pellentesque dolor, non gravida est enim vitae quam. Integer vel augue justo, non rhoncus dolor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla dapibus pharetra arcu, vitae bibendum tellus semper vel. Nullam et turpis velit. Nam vulputate dui eget nibh volutpat sagittis vel at metus. Pellentesque dolor justo, vestibulum vitae rutrum vitae, bibendum eu urna. Vivamus ut erat magna, at gravida leo. Nulla facilisi. Donec est odio, sodales vitae aliquam at, porttitor id elit.

Vivamus ac lacus non justo accumsan sodales ut sit amet mauris. Aliquam mauris enim, egestas vel bibendum vitae, fermentum id libero. Donec quis ante id metus porta lobortis vitae vitae libero. Mauris ullamcorper suscipit est vitae placerat. Ut aliquet mauris in dolor blandit rhoncus. Maecenas est diam, ullamcorper vel dictum eget, scelerisque in urna. Maecenas ac nisi at arcu tempus dignissim sit amet vehicula augue. Duis sed felis massa. Fusce auctor varius placerat. Mauris non tortor at neque ornare lobortis sed eu tortor. Suspendisse ullamcorper, sapien quis vehicula imperdiet, ante dolor viverra mauris, et egestas sapien odio lobortis ligula. Phasellus sollicitudin, mi ut eleifend varius, magna mi tincidunt lacus, non rutrum augue dolor at dui.