A think tank is offering, for consideration and debate, the idea the retirement age goes up to 75. In practice this would mean a deferral of state pension until then but how many would be capable or enthusiastic enough to work? Would employers want people aged 74?

Increasingly people aren’t retiring, they have so much more to offer.

• ‘Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them’ – Louis Armstrong
• ‘Actors don’t retire; the phone stops ringing’ – Sir Roger Moore

And, by the way, avoiding retirement isn’t just about being in paid employment; options abound.

‘Agility’ is defined as the quality of “being able to move nimbly, quickly and in a lively way” (The Oxford Reference Dictionary).  The definition implies an ability to move and respond to the environment you find yourself in not just accept what is.

The quality of being agile and responsive is key to those who work for themselves.  Being able to respond appropriately to customers and doing so speedily will ensure a much greater likelihood of winning a customer order.

Being aware of current trends and challenges within a particular field of work and responding innovatively can give an edge to any solopreneur seeking to get a head start in the market place.

Those who are already working for themselves will know that the product or service they begin offering at the outset very rarely stays the same – therefore the ability to listen to what your customers want and respond speedily by evolving your service or product accordingly is a key factor in the survival rates of new businesses.

The trend for self-employment is getting stronger in both developed and emerging economies.  Individuals are recognising that being a solopreneur holds the promise of more autonomy in how work is done and with whom. Flexibility in life is much valued and the ability to work where and when you like is attractive to many. The added allure of solopreneurship is its potential for personal fulfilment over the longer term. All of this constitutes a heady cocktail that is increasingly being chosen.

How does career agility specifically apply to the solopreneur?

Of course, one key success factor of any business is the personal qualities the owner brings to the enterprise.  For example, if the solopreneur applies the skills of agile leadership, by responding nimbly and innovatively with new products or customer friendly systems, this could become commercially advantageous and will quickly differentiate the company from other businesses who may be complacent in attitude.

We can all think of people who just seem to ooze the ‘gets things done’ ethos and they usually do before others wake up to the need for change. Fortune favours the bold!  As you’d expect, these kinds of agile leaders are usually adept at managing their careers and expect those who work for them to do the same, so it’s no surprise that the culture of a business led by a solopreneur will reflect that leader’s values and beliefs. This will impact on every bit of the business, especially the hiring of the team.

Observable traits that crop up regularly in solopreneurs are:

• pragmatism and a persistence or tenacity when facing difficulties
• clear tendency to think differently about common problems
• an ability to spot the ‘gap’ or opportunity, innovating as required
• a relatively thick skin to help handle rejection or resistance
• a strong self belief or optimistic streak
• a love of learning

Finally, career agility is linked to a particular outlook or growth mindset that can be very powerful when applied consistently over a long period of time. Any solopreneur who has this mindset will not be deterred by setbacks, simply seeing them as part of the learning that is essential in developing the business product or service.  Failure is not taken personally, learning constantly is the norm and this ‘bounce back’ ability when things do go wrong builds emotional resilience.

The solopreneur is often uniquely placed to spot opportunities simply by being on the outside and looking in. I like to describe this trait as being like the ‘meerkat’ of the marketplace. Having an innately wired talent for scanning the environment and piecing together bits of information to confirm a trend or new marketplace buzz gives huge advantages in any competitive situation.

So…the case is stacking up for adopting career agility practices and building habits to sustain yourself and your business if that’s the path you have chosen already or are perhaps thinking about.  It’s not an easy path but it can be very rewarding!

I invite you to ask yourself the following questions:

• Which traits do you have already that can serve you well as a solopreneur?
• What can you do or learn more about to improve your own career agility quotient?
• Who do you know who has the ‘meerkat approach’ and what can they teach you?

To find out more please fill in the form below, contact us by email or call 0121 663 1710.

It’s no surprise that skills shortages is second on the list of concerns for IoD members, with 42 percent of those recently questioned saying it was causing them a major headache. The downside to good job figures is that it makes it harder for organisations to find the talent they need. But are we looking in the right places and is ageism in recruitment, conscious or not, still a factor?

Currently only 64% of people aged 55-64 in the UK are in employment. If we were to increase this by just 20% – matching Sweden’s record on employing older people – it would add about £80bn to the GDP.

Through 20 years’ experience of filling job vacancies, I have found there are many reasons why you overlook this demographic to your disadvantage. Interestingly, small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are taking advantage of this workforce faster than other larger businesses and organisations; they probably recognise the need to be more flexible in both their thinking and the way they operate the business to get the absolute most out of it.

I employ two people over the age of 60; they are never late, never call in sick, always willing to go the extra mile. Older people tend to have better work ethic; they are used to routine and structure, which is something many younger people struggle with. Emotional intelligence is another factor: older people by and large deal well with constructive feedback on their performance and realise it helps with development. Many younger employees have yet to develop that maturity and can often take feedback as criticism. From a practical point of view, older employees are more settled and less likely to be looking for a ‘career move’ – so you get great work and life experience combined with stability. And that’s good for the younger workforce too – they can learn so much from those who have already had their career and are willing to pass on some of their life lessons. Many are happy fulfilling a role less demanding than their actual ability because they don’t want too much stress or pressure – so as an employer you may be able to get great experience for a very competitive salary compared to someone trying to climb the career ladder.

Older people are also in a good place to apply all the skills and knowledge they have acquired over the years to new ventures – we are seeing a definite rise in the end of the older entrepreneur with some embarking on not just their second but their third or fourth career. In fact, the IoD has made proposals to the Government to introduce tax incentives to encourage people in later life to pursue their business ideas and invest in training. This may not be everyone’s first choice but keeping older people connected to the business world through consulting, mentoring, part time employment or even full time employment retains their skills for longer – and that’s a win-win for all of us.

• Helen Lacey

Many people thrive when operating under pressure, it gives them energy and drive.

The problem occurs when the dial on the pressure gauge goes into the metaphorical red-zone of stress. Not only do we all react differently to external and internal imposed stimuli but we may, individually, react differently depending on the context of life at any given time. This means it isn’t possible to know how we will respond to a situation, a timescale or other factors.

A recent survey by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found 37% of absence cases were due to stress and this accounted for 45% of working days lost for ill health. This means that, perhaps not surprisingly, the average time off for stress related issues is longer than for physical ailments.

The Institute of Directors surveyed 1200 UK employees and established the most stressful factors are:

• Bad management
• Low morale
• Unfriendly colleagues
• Workloads
• Long working hours
• Poor work/life balance

Clearly, some of these are interrelated and compounding. Larger organisations may have in-house or on-tap support but SMEs typically don’t even have a policy to help. The absence of a key employee, who may well have been imposed upon, due to their value to the business, can be very impactful.

The HSE website has very helpful information about stress for line managers.

Insights for individuals

For individuals, there are key messages here. Most importantly, prevention is better than cure. Do not wait too long to raise any concerns over growing pressure, talk to someone and ask for help. This is not a sign of weakness but, if considered properly, is a sign of strength.

Two final thoughts:

• People sometimes feel frustrated and in need of a new job when, in reality, the need is to change the factors creating the stress. People leave a job they love because they hate their boss or the department is under-resourced. Be careful not to address the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem.
• It is easier to find a new job when you are in a job

A solution for your business

Work Horizons has formed a partnership with Westfield Health, whose Healthy Extras package offers your staff and directors 24/7 access to expert help, for stress and other mental health issues. You can read more here.

Work Horizons founder, Rob Ball, has published his third book, Beating the Wisdom of Hindsight.

How often do you hear people say things like, ‘If only I hadn’t done…’ or ‘I wish I had done…’? How often is this person you?

Few people relish change but want there to be differences. The ultimate mistake is to wait too long, until the opportunities have been missed. This is not a book for people on their death bed; it is a book for people who want to live more fulfilling lives.

We do make compromises, but do we compromise too much? Do we prefer the road with fewest bumps, even if it isn’t going to our preferred destination?

Our individual plan may require us to stop doing things. It will necessitate us being proactive.

This book has 75 short sections, some of which will be for you. Do not wait, do not let life drift by passively, face the reality and make some decisions.

Buy the Kindle Edition…