The Pivot Portal

Recently, and when I say that I mean for some years now, I've been thinking more and more about ageing. Ageism being just another of the barriers in the I&D space. Lay over that,being a post menopausal woman in her 50's and you get more layers of intersectionality.

I watched a panel event at work this week in honour of International Women's Day. It was a great celebration of "being female" with a bias towards young women and being self-confident. Of course, our old friend the Imposter Sydnrome came up - as it usually does as soon as we start talking about confidence. It struck me though that what we mean by the Imposter differs by gender and also by age. When I think of the 25 year old me, I was pretty fearless and driven to succeed. What mattered to me, or so I thought mattered at that time, was promotion, earning money, being successful and impressing my family and friends. I now know that to have it's drawbacks. I missed out on so much because of it and then I rock up in my 50's with 25 years under my belt at the same company only to have an impending sense of "surplus to requirements" being "phased out" and "invisibility". Yet I do not have that sense of myself. In fact the opposite it true - I feel at my most vibrant, ready and wanting. However, my frame of reference has changed. I've moved from achievement to meaning. I'm not chasing that promotion, in fact the thought of it scares me to death, no I want meaning and purpose. I'm far more discerning about what I may want and I also carry a lot of fear of failure with me. At 25, I was invincible. Now I feel restricted and therefore stay in my lane. But there is this stirring in me for MORE. I believe this to be a time in my life when I have the most to offer. Years of experience, a sure sense of who I am and what I offer. My skills, knowledge and a good 20 years still left in me to contribute. But when I look around me all I can see is companies and cultures that value youth and quickness. Quick wins, results and reward and I think to myself - where do I fit into that? What am I going to do for this next part of my career? I no longer measure myself on my next best move, nor am I seeking a promotion. I'm seeking a job in my company that doesn't exist and I see them bringing in all these external providers - many of who have the exact same credentials as me - to deliver content that I could deliver as well. But somehow despite having banged on about this stuff to anyone that will listen for years, somehow being in a company for 25 years makes me less credible, worthy or capable. That is wrong. It erodes my confidence. What are my options 1. Keep doing what I am doing - tow the line, keep quiet and slide into retirement or hope for a pay off in a restructure 2. Leave and try to start up my own business with all the other 50 somethings that have found themselves in the same spot 3. a third way!?

It's the Pivot PortalTM and I am going to work out what this is and I am on a mission for companies to wake up to the untapped potential of this forgotten group because this isn't just about women, no,

our male allies feel the same. Instead of gearing all development to leaders and the young how about a new approach. Helping those who have more to offer realise their potential in the final flourish of their careers. I believe the value they bring is underestimated.