Traffic jam ahead: Boomers and youth merge on social sector

There seems to be an exciting transition and self-awareness happening in the social sphere, beyond even the nonprofit/philanthropic or social sector. It’s a transition that includes the community, our personal perceptions of social purpose, and the economic interpretation of actions motivated by social consciousness.

From my view, this is having particular effects on how the boomer generation and 20-somethings perceive themselves and their work… but not necessarily each other.

I’ve been a little perplexed lately by an emerging disconnect between young social thinkers and older social thinkers… for instance, here’s the introduction to the New Voices of Philanthropy blog:

After baby boomers leave the world of professional philanthropy to enjoy lake cabins and to spoil their grandchildren, who will continue the day-to-day struggle for social justice? That’s where we come in. New Voices of Philanthropy is a place where new and experienced leaders in the foundation world can come together to share strategies and tactics to change the world. Are you ready?

This does not at all mesh with my thinking about baby boomers or the transition of leadership in the sector. In fact, I imagine that the boomers who are my colleagues would be taken aback by the notion that they are simply going to ride off into the sunset to “enjoy lake cabins and spoil their grandchildren.”

Doesn’t this make the experience of a generation sound rather disposable? I fear for the young nonprofit professional who imagines that baby boomers are all just waiting to check out and head to the beach. After all, at the very least, who do you think will be serving on your boards?

Look at the thinking of organizations like Civic Ventures. Clearly, there is a movement afoot to refresh the sector with the leadership and experience of older individuals. Many are starting to imagine the sector as the next step for boomers who still have a lot to offer but want to work with a renewed social purpose.

Two schools of thought appear to be emerging, with no clear intermediary working to bring them together.

One group is calling for the grooming of young talent, armed with the Bridgespan report and saying that the sector is going to lose thousands of its seasoned leaders shortly. (The NP2020 conference claims that the Bridgespan “statistic creates more impact on the sector as baby boomers prepare for retirement in the next few years.”)

Yet the other group claims that boomers are a fitting answer to the sector’s need for leadership. This Stanford Business Magazine article points out that “a 2006 Merrill Lynch survey of more than 5,000 Americans reported that 71 percent plan to continue work in some form past age 61, and 65 percent of boomers and 70 percent of younger workers hope to move into a new profession.”

It’s as if the social sector is a busy highway, in the midst of its own transition while also facing a leadership deficit. The trouble is, I don’t know if the drivers–the boomer in the left lane, the 20-something merging from the on-ramp–have checked their blind spot yet.

Are we effectively preparing ourselves and our organizations for this mash of the young and the old? Apparently both groups think they are going to get there first, but can’t we facilitate that change in a way that enhances professional development and advances missions?

As a young professional, that’s one of the major reasons I volunteer–to be engaged with another generation and work with them to reinvent social change so it has new meaning in our community.

One request: please don’t boil this down to “mentoring.” That’s a traditional dichotomy that doesn’t go far enough. This is about good business sense. Frankly, it’s about the vitality of the sector and its capacity to create change. Like it or not, the generations are speeding toward the spot where the sector will be tomorrow. We might as well think about creating a collaborative road map now… it will be a lot easier to understand each other and enjoy the work when we all get there.