Agency Principals Take Note
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A Young Professional Looks at Thirty
By Zach Eisenman, VSAE Deputy Executive Director
“Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred years too late. The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder, I’m an over-forty victim of fate. Arriving too late, arriving too late.”
Jimmy Buffett’s classic song, A Pirate Looks at Forty, tells the tale of a modern-day swashbuckler approaching 40 and coming to terms with the notion that his preferred profession may not be around much longer — and pondering what that means for his future. For many young professionals, both in the association industry and those industries we serve, this idea likely rings similarly true. There’s no escaping the fact that the rapid changes to the workforce are impacting us all, especially those of us who are still early in our careers.
It’s no secret we are in a period of unparalleled uncertainty, change and disruption. Much has been written about how the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an era of remote work and is continuing to reshape the workplace. However, far less has been written of the long-term impact of these changes. For someone 20, 30 or even 40 years away from retirement age, what does it all mean?
For starters, there is more pressure than ever on organizational leadership. It’s clear the American workforce is aging. In 2011, that first round of Baby Boomers—those Americans born between 1946 and 1964—turned 65. From now until 2030, it is estimated that 10,000 Baby Boomers each day hit retirement age. What happens to an industry or association when that institutional knowledge goes away? Longtime Executive Directors/CEOs are retiring, and key volunteers and board leaders are doing the same. Developing the next generation of leadership, if not already in progress, needs to be a priority.
On the flip side of this, in many cases career trajectories have been extended and the traditional notion of a career path has been turned upside down. Not only are today’s employees looking for flexibility around where and when they work, but the pace of entire careers has changed. Millennials and Gen Z have a much different view of their career than their older colleagues. The era of the gold watch retirement has passed. Gone are the days of a 40-year career at one organization or even one industry. Job mobility and flexibility continue to be priorities in the workforce, and even a 5-year tenured employee is an accomplishment these days. Being able to accommodate learning opportunities, parental leaves, or other detours and sabbaticals will be key to attracting and retaining top talent.
I offer much of this commentary to help provide some context on how many of my peers are viewing the current state of employment. The traditional paradigms of work, training, careers and mentorship are evolving. There is no roadmap for many of the challenges we face, and there are likely some challenges ahead that we can’t even imagine right now. It is up to us, the next generation of leadership, to embrace these challenges and uncertainties and face them head on. We are not the first generation to have to overcome cultural shifts and market disruptions … we’re just the first to do it over Zoom.
Reprinted with permission by the Virginia Society of Association Executives.
