Short-timers in today’s workplace?

Working the last few years in a larger organization has made me aware of the fleeting thinking of the aging workforce. It may be due to my career progression that I have just recently realized that many of my peers and even those reporting to me will be retiring in the next decade if not sooner; or maybe working in smaller startup organizations drew on a different working population – I’m not sure. What’s important here is that I never noticed it before and now it is obvious to me. I’d like you to understand that working with those that have birthdays before mine is not an issue, quite the opposite, they have a world of experience and tacit knowledge that I think will be a loss once they depart. I’ve even managed to control that short termed decision making, since the decisions that my short term colleagues make today will not be their problems tomorrow (they will be my problems.) But an outside vendor today, underlined the diminished benefit of short timers’ thinking.

In the engineering world, especially in systems and electronics there is a symbiotic relationship between company component vendors and designers. When designers need parts, support, they call on those representatives. The representatives need to forge relationships with the designers to facilitate the use of those parts in designs. These representatives come and do presentations on upcoming technologies, what they have in the pipeline, technology trends etc. It’s mutually beneficial for the designers and the representatives. Today, one of these reps displayed off of his computer a great presentation. On top of the screen, what was at first a curiosity was a timer counting away. As the conversation progressed my curiosity was satisfied in learning that the timer was a retirement counter, which counted the retirement year down to the second. Now, as a representative for a going concern, fostering a relationship that is supposed to last for years with a potential customer – why would you want to communicate to that individual “I’m knowledgeable and can support you designing these parts, but this knowledge and support will be gone soon.” My design cycles last years (and these guys know it) I don’t want to be left in the dark when I’m half way through a design.

I realize that this is a life changing event for the representative, and that the display of a clock was not malicious, but in good spirits (at least his good spirits.) Am I being over sensitive? This isn’t a matter of ageism it is a matter of professionalism.