ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY: WHY BUSINESS NEEDS BOOMERS NOW

The New York Times Career Couch column on Sunday, August 3rd titled "When That Screen Starts to Look Smaller," ended by pointing out the things that improve with age and consequently give an advantage to the older worker. Experience, stability and confidence are particularly important in times of an uncertain economy, market turmoil and need for re-thinking strategy.

Medical and geriatrics professionals as well as workforce specialists say that:

*   The mature brain, benefiting from the wisdom compiled through experience. enhances decision-making abilities. Boomers will make more reasoned decisions than less experienced colleagues.

*   Older workers tend to have more confidence on the job and tend to enjoy their work more.

*   The Boomers and traditionalists before them generally have better social skills than the younger generations and relate better to colleagues and clients.

*   Having been through several business cycles, they tend not to panic in volatile times (such as these).

*   Boomers have deeper relationships, nurturing loyalty over the years with clients and referral sources.

On the downside there may come some loss of mental agility and deteriorating eyesight with aging, but that can be corrected or compensated for. Mental agility can be increased by exercising the brain through trying different things and doing things in a different way, playing memory games, learning new skills such as languages and technology - all a benefit to the firm.

In uncertain times it is more risky than ever to lose institutional knowledge, strategic thinkers, and the keepers of valuable relationships - at least until they have transitioned their knowledge and clients to the next generation.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot   www.pdcounsel.com