The role of mature, mid-centurion men and women as remnants is critical to the core values and continuity of our organizations, communities and culture; this role, however, may not be fully appreciated in contemporary Western societies by younger colleagues. By contrast, as we noted in a previous essay, there is an honored role in many traditional Asian cultures (e.g., Chinese, Indonesians, and Japanese) for the wise organizational grandfather and grandmother. This man or woman often serves as chair of the board or as chief advisor to the head of an organization with which he or she has worked for many years. As senior members of society and teachers, they have experienced the joy and honor of being educational “grandparents” through teaching their younger colleagues. And they traditionally receive enormous respect from younger contemporaries: They are listened to, and they thoughtfully question and challenge analyses and recommendations about their organization without being competitive or defensive. In a way, they tend to be terrific clients for an organizational consultant.
As we observe practices in Western societies, however, we must conclude that white hair doesn’t necessarily translate to being honored and respected by younger members of an organization or community. In short, Western countries no longer support the role of honored grandparent. Senior men and women are typically “put out to pasture” or given a titular role that may be more of an embarrassment than an honor. Organizations and communities simply fail to avail themselves of these “grandparents” or engage their perspectives about enduring or disappearing values and traditions. A colleague recently observed:
Download Article 1K ClubI can take quiet pleasure in knowing that I made a difference and my ideas did finally take root. I may be hurt to hear a young hot shot articulate the “brand new idea” that I suggested to him four months ago. It is frustrating to witness the celebration of a very successful project that I championed five years ago. And I wasn’t even invited to this celebration until the last minute! Was I that insensitive to my elders when I was their age?
