The Organizational Underground: Organizational Coaching and Organization Development Outside the Formal Organization

This new model of “retirement” or “nonretirement” may be nothing more than a return to premodern times when people worked throughout their lives rather than retiring at the arbitrary age of 65. Some may believe that “sage leadership” is nothing more than a needed return to an era when the older members of a society were honored and influential. We don’t fully concur with this assessment. We believe there is something more here than just a return to old forms. The Baby Boomers and some of their older compatriots are re-inventing seniority. They are creating a new model of generativity (Erikson, 1982) that is founded on recent neuro-biological discoveries suggesting that the brains of mature men and women can still be modified and strengthened (often framed as “neuro-plasticity;” cf. Doidge, 2007; Medina, 2008). Senior men and women can still create and sustain new ventures during their senior years.

Given the “graying” of America and many other nations in the world, there are many profound implications spinning off from the notion that nonretired men and women can remain vital (physically and psychologically) for many years. These implications include a challenge for professional coaches: how do we best work with mature men and women who are reexamining their long-standing assumptions about life after 65 and are considering ways in which to be “sage leaders.” Just as it may take a village to raise a child, so it may take a community to acknowledge and support the exceptional experience, talent, and energy that these sagacious leaders can offer their community. In this setting, the new organization is the community in which the sage leader will be operating and the organizational coach can play a clear role at both the individual and community level.

Internship employment

One of us [Bill] recently received an email from the son of a colleague asking for advice on building a resume. This young man was about to graduate with high marks from a prestigious West Coast university. He also had started a small software business that was yielding him a nice income. The draft resume he intended to send out was directed not only to prospective employers, but also to those who were reviewing applications for internships. It was hard to imagine that a young person with this much demonstrated talent would have to settle for an internship. However, that is often the case. If a job isn’t available, then a young person can keep busy, accomplish something, and further build her resume by working for nothing. Furthermore, the internship option is apparently not restricted to the young. People at all ages are now opting for internship assignments, especially if they have been unsuccessful for many months in finding a job. Internships become an effective means of building a stronger resume when facing the competitive challenges of a tight and shifting job-market.