It is even more likely that the male retiree seeks something that requires no formal accountability. This is especially the case when a man has lived out a life fulfilling traditional societal expectations about the male as bread-winner and “leader of the band.” While there may not have been a glass ceiling awaiting this man as he moved up through the organization, there were often long days and nights of work, stressful meetings, and insensitive and often “stupid” bosses with whom he had to contend. Thank goodness for retirement!
Career Option Four: Avocational Dabbling
The ultimate escape from accountability is to become an avocational junky, doing a bit of everything “just for the hell of it!” We take up photography or act in a community play, not because we ever expect to be any good at this work, but because it is a challenge and a joy. In official psychologize this is called “autotelic” (self-gratifying) behavior. Czikszentmihalyi (1990) describes this as the search for “flow” (the experience of being completely present in a moment that provides both challenge and support). The original meaning of the word “amateur” was not about someone who is bad at performing some skilled task; instead, it was about deciding to engage in a particular activity as a pastime—just for the love of doing it (the word “amateur” being derived from the Latin word “amator” or “lover”).
Career Option Five: Remaining as Leader
As in the case of career Option Two, the mature adult remains active in the role of Generativity Two. He continues to be an active leader in his organization. This leadership can take on many forms and may require a shift in the leader’s functions. The leader might remain in an active management role, showing up to work each day and continuing to provide direct supervision and keeping “his hands in the business.” Alternatively, he can move up to a position of “chair of the board” or an emeritus position that still allows the leader to influence policy and strategy without having to “roll up his sleeves” every day. This second variation on career Option Five is strongly reinforced in many traditional Asian cultures. The mature male leader is expected to move outside the active role of manager when he has reached his fifties or at least his sixties. By that time, he is expected to have either retired (Option Three or Six) or become an advisor or overseer (“chairman of the board” or some comparable position). It is considered a sign of failure for an older male to remain actively involved as a manager in his own organization.
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