ABSTRACT
A great deal of the productivity gain and innovation potential so prized by today's employers is lost, and companies struggle to find solutions to the problem. Researchers Robert Morison, Tamara Erickson and Ken Dychtwald coined a new term 'middlescence' to describe the professional frustrations that form when knowledge workers realise they have climbed as far as they can on the career ladder, or are bored stiff with the unchallenging nature of their work. The physical and psychological effects of ageing are gradual and involve multiple, minor impairments in eyesight, hearing, dexterity, mobility and memory for which thoughtful and inclusive workplace design can readily compensate. Expanding leadership development is a further option to revive a bottlenecked knowledge worker. Older workers both wanted access to new technology and separation from its ubiquitous presence, as their lives demanded. Many would like technology training more tailored to their age and experience.
