"Retiring Baby Boomers Creating Workforce Talent Shortage" reads the headline of the news release. The body of the release includes these results:

"The survey, 'The Real Talent Debate: Will Aging Boomers Deplete the Workforce?' assessed responses from more than 480 organizations in a broad cross-section of industries. Forty-two percent of all respondents indicated the aging workforce issue is significant. Of this group, 50% have a majority of mature workers eligible to retire in five to ten years. One-half of respondents in this group also see a current shortage of skilled workers."

I could have said, "these stunning results," but the results in the report match with what I've seen at my clients. These numbers vary quite a bit by industry, but at a utility I worked with, two-thirds of senior managers attending a meeting were eligible to retire in five years.

Here are four things to ponder.

Ponder who's going to retire. In many organizations, a big chunk of the senior management and craft supervisors are set to head for the exits.  Some of these people are in critical jobs. This creates a succession problem in the C-suite and on the shop floor.

Ponder when they can go. Yes, I know, there are all kinds of studies that say the Boomers won't go because they haven't planned for retirement. Don't bet on it. Plan as if they're going to leave and you'll still be OK if those "can't retire" studies are right.

Ponder the threat. You need to figure out how exposed you are, and where and when. Then you can begin planning.Start with an assessment of the situation.

Ponder all of your options.  Too many consultants have just the hammer to solve your problem which they see as a nail.  Don't be fooled. You're going to need a whole toolkit. That toolkit will include HR tools, technology tools and business process tools.

I've outlined my own approach in my white paper. It's called "Meeting the Challenges of the Boomer Brain Drain: an Integrated Approach." Request a free copy here. It will help you move beyond pondering to action.

Request your free copy of "Meeting the Challenges of the Boomer Brain Drain: An integrated approach."

Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

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