The Challenge of Excellence

The Counsellor@ The Challenge of Excellence

Preparing for a 'New Season'

Mentoring for Executive / President Retirement

Can ‘Retirement’ be inspirational? Can the transition be excellent? Can all parties experience a win/win?

Senior Management transitions and departures represent a particular type of change that is often not well understood or supported in the business world. Quality ‘completion’ is an important part of life’s experiences, whether it is how a child finishes a race at school, how we end a relationship, leave a job or ‘retire'. Quality completion clears the way, and produces sound foundations for building positively for the future. ‘Retirement’ should be inspirational!

Why Mentoring For Executive Retirement?

Inspirational ‘retirement’
Smooth transition
Two-way quality Succession Plans
Completion
A New Season - something to look forward to

It is quite common in the business world for senior executives who have been in a corporation for many years to have misgivings about the concept of ‘retirement’. The word ‘retirement’ alone can conjure up a series of emotional reactions both positive and negative. Personal identity and sense of self-worth are often tied up in what we DO and what we achieve. So it is important for people in senior positions who are about to end their career in one field to reflect and plan for a future that provides them with equal satisfaction. ‘Retirement’ is not just about ending it is also about a new beginning, a new life cycle, a New Season.

Benefits to the Executive

Motivated completion - giving of your best up to point of departure
Creation of plans for the future, professionally & personally
Maintaining personal identity, status, sense of worth
Inspiration for a new beginning
Managing change in family/partner relationships pre/post retirement

From a corporation’s point of view, when a senior executive is to ‘retire’ (assuming this is an executive who has served loyally and wisely) there can be other concerns to consider such as how to manage the loss of knowledge, the wisdom, experience and state of continuity. Often senior executives are retained in some other capacity in order to avoid this loss (sometimes this works out well, sometimes it creates confusion). High quality Succession Plans are vital to the lifeblood of the company.

And of course on both sides, there can be a sense of sadness about potential loss of friendships.

The departing executive faces a very different new life. Some people transition, naturally and easily and know exactly what they want to do next. Others do not. The principle behind ‘retirement’ mentoring is to ensure that the departing senior executive/president and the business are both well served by the process. The process is designed to be a win/win for all.

Benefits to the Business

Executive Succession plans
Smooth transitions
Positive & Supportive cultural attitudes to ‘Retirement’
Ensuring expertise and continuity live on
High quality performance up to point of departure

Preparing for a new Season - Husband/wife

“Susan Kaye is a very talented counsellor who disarms you with her gentle but penetrating empathetic style to hold up a crystal clear mirror of your strengths, weaknesses , hopes and fears…..options seem much more obvious after a few minutes with her.” Retired Corporate VP of Fortune 500 company

Retired Corporate VP of Fortune 500 company

If you are considering retirement and would like further information about how The Counsellor might work with you; about the process and options; if you would like to explore what retirement means for you, for your husband/wife/partner and the organisation, or just have an exploratory meeting to see if the chemistry fits, please do contact The Counsellor@