Intergenerational Leadership: The Challenges of a Shifting Workforce

On March 8, 2013, Ruth Finkelstein, ScD, Senior Vice President for Policy & Planning at NYAM, took part in a special panel discussion at the New York Times Building on the topic of Intergenerational Leadership: The Challenges of a Shifting Workforce. The International Leadership Association (ILA) and The New York Times presented the event in partnership with the Global Coalition on Aging. Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times, moderated the panel, which also included Andrew Henck, Internship Programme Coordinator at World Vision International; David C. Tyrie, Managing Director and Head of Personal Wealth & Retirement at Bank of America Merrill Lynch; and Eliane Ubalijoro, 2013 ILA Global Conference Chair and Professor of Practice for Public-
Private Sector Partnerships at the Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University.

This panel was convened to create a new and different discussion of population aging that goes to the core of the profound structural demographic transformation of the 21st century. As longevity increases and birth rates continue to fall, we are at the brink of an entirely new kind of global society because of
the very different ratios of "old" to "young" across the globe. Too often, aging is considered to be a matter of "more old people," and the challenges brought by it are often, and falsely, seen as greater financial burdens in health care, social security, and long-term care. This perception calls for a new way of thinking and more leadership focused on the promises of an aging population, where active and healthy aging leads to more productive aging across all stages of life—physically, socially, and economically.

Dr. Finkelstein, who leads NYAM's Age-friendly NYC partnership with the Mayor's Office and New York City Council, stressed that “We have a choice in how we conceptualize the fact that the world is aging, and how we conceptualize it determines our response.” Specifically, she said, “we must treat this shift not as a disaster but as an opportunity, and view older adults as an asset.”

Furthermore, Dr. Finkelstein said the conception of the life course as split into three distinct and consecutive phases—education, work, and retirement—will not work for the 21st century. Instead, “education, work, and pursuit of the other dimensions of life need to be interspersed throughout your life cycle. Take the boundaries away, and make a life course that includes all of these dimensions.”

In terms of addressing the needs of an aging workforce, Dr. Finkelstein pointed out that there are 700,000 New Yorkers over 55 working in New York City—working alongside the generation older than them and three younger generations. She stressed the importance of working to eliminate the digital divide between generations, of speaking frankly about ageism and other forms of discrimination in the workforce, and of changing the dominant workplace culture to one that values the experience and knowledge of older workers.

“Our challenge is to make teams, groups, and opportunities for those strengths to work together,” she said. “We have to change our understanding of the value proposition of people.”

View the video of the panel here.

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Posted on March 12, 2013

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Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
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