"Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age." - Anaïs Nin

As I sit down to write today, I find myself thinking about an experience I am having more often as I get closer to my retirement. Given my role as a senior member of our IT leadership team at the university, I have been part of our strategic planning process, and other long-term planning discussions, for many years. Lately, I find that they way I participate in these conversations is changing. I’m realizing that I won’t be part of the future we are planning and this is leading me to change the way I engage in planning.

Until we hired our CIO, I played a leading role in these planning processes, and my colleagues still treat me with respect and value my input. Our CIO has been very gracious and is genuinely interested in my bringing my experience, and institutional memory, to bear on the decisions we are making. Of course, I still want to offer my best insights and engage as usefully as possible in each conversation!

What is different is that I find this period of transition is providing me with new and different ways to contribute as I plan with my colleagues. Because I will not be directly affected by the consequences of the decisions we make, I find that I have an opportunity to be even more objective than I have in the past, that there are moments when I can help to encourage my colleagues as they take on more significant roles in this process, and to choose to listen even more carefully while speaking less myself.

I have always worked to remain objective as we weigh our options and reach decisions. To listen carefully and consider what is best for all concerned, and what will best support the mission and strategic goals of our university. Of course, I have also advocated for the choices that I believe are best, and to support my views with data, and with reasoned arguments based on experience and an awareness of the people and technology involved. Today, I find that I am less likely to argue for, or against, a particular decision and more likely to ask questions that call on others to consider how my ideas, or concerns, affect their proposals. I hope that this process is helping our team to gain greater clarity and confidence about the choices we are making.

The opportunity to help others grow has always been one of the most rewarding parts of my professional career, and the aspect of my work that aligns best with my own interests and passion. In these final months of my time as a full-time manager, I am finding great satisfaction in watching how my colleagues on our leadership team are playing an even greater role in the planning process, and growing as they do. Where I can, I am doing my best to help them.

I have had the opportunity to express my appreciation for, and confidence in, them as they define and discuss new directions that will enhance the value we deliver for the university. I am remembering even more to respect the solid experience and expertise they bring to their roles, to defer to their greater awareness of key issues in their areas of specialty, and to value their unique perspectives. As they step forward into more and more influential positions, I am remembering to “lean back”, listen, and offer more nuanced guidance that acknowledges their strength.

I find that I feel excited and gratified as they challenge my views with their own, well thought out, proposals for changes that will benefit our department and the university as a whole. I admire their courage as they explore new possibilities and collaborate to shape each other’s ideas into the strategic directions we need. Lately, two colleagues have been presenting a new approach to how we organize some of the teams we lead to improve the service we provide. Some of these proposals specifically address how the department might adjust to my retirement, and to the opportunities for change this presents. My colleagues are careful to treat me with respect as they talk about the shape of IT at the university when I am gone. I find that, instead of feeling uncomfortable, I am excited to see them treating my departure as an opportunity to improve.

In our planning conversations, I am doing more and more listening, choosing to speak less often, and trying to be more concise. I admit that this last change has always been a challenge for me! While I offer what insights and suggestions I can, I also know that they are the ones who will need to live with the results of the choices they make, and I try to keep that in mind. To think before I speak even more than I usually do.

It is very interesting, and quite encouraging, to participate in these conversations about changes my colleagues will be making to adjust to my retiring, and to define the future of IT at our university. As their strength and experience come to the fore, I find that I am learning and growing, too. It seems that I am learning new things about listening, and about supporting the decision-making processes of others.

I wonder how this will carry over into retirement where I will spend more and more of my time with younger people whose views, and decisions, will have an increasing importance in defining our future? Of course, I will need to take responsibility for, and make decisions about, my own life, and share in making decisions with my lovely wife. I’m happy that some of our choices will be about travel and other fun activities. At the same time, I see us playing a supporting role as our sons make choices about their lives and futures. The ability to listen, to offer guidance in a nuanced way, and to be very respectful in this process will be valuable. Over time, I will increasingly be part of a conversation dealing with choices that will outlive me. I hope to participate in that conversation with an open mind, an open heart, and a deep respect for what will be best for everyone concerned.

© 2017 James Michael. The text of this work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0