I really had to think about this, as I do not usually meddle in things that are not my business, but those magic words at the end of the challenge “you failed to take yourself” reminds me of my working days. Times change and so do organisations. In my particular case I had a good job, customer contact with the world and speaking many foreign languages. I made my own decisions and no-one meddled in my work. I was trusted. I was “just” an employee in the office, but was proud of what I had achieved.
One fine day, things changed. A new organisation was called for, my chief had too much on his desk and had to reorganise. After twenty-five years of service for the company, with another five years to go before retirement, I found I now had a new person in charge of my work. Just a few years more than half my age. She took over the interesting parts of my work and I was left as something like an assembly line worker. She was even given the task of carrying out the annual qualification talk with us. Not very nice, when her only experience was a special course and a text book to put her on the right way.
Over the years I did reassure some of my younger colleagues, when the job was not what they expected and suggested they should look elsewhere. The career opportunities were good at the time.
And now that would have been the best piece of advice that I failed to take.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
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That’s a story that could have been written by a lot, A LOT, of people. But they don’t always recognize themselves —
I just heard it the other day from a family member! (Not your conclusion, just the stuck-ness.)
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Change is hard and when you have been in once position for so long. iIt is very, very difficult. I had to make that choice a couple years ago. The job I was working at as like you took away many of the projects I really enjoyed, pay was cut rather drastically ($5.00 per hour) and it was changed from full time hours to 30 hours a week. I left for another position I was hoping would work out but the contract ended.as did many others on the Army post. It is hard times here in this area with the Army budget cuts and factory/ business closings.. I have been unemployed for a year but I still believe leaving the position was the right move.
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Sometimes, when a door closes, another one opens. But some of us may be crying so hard in front of the closed door that we fail to see the open door nearby. Thanks for dropping by my blog.
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In my previous employer, a large Twin-Cities-based retailer, I worked as a young manager to very senior IT engineers who basically had been outsourced out of the work they loved and reorganized into roles that were sometimes not the best fit. I wanted to tell them– ‘Go to another company! There are others out there who value your skillset!’. I eventually took my own advice, and wish I could have taken them with me. Some of them, anyway. But it must be a hard thing to consider for someone within 5 years of retirement.
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But you mentored younger employees, yes? Thanks for dropping by and liking my Daily prompt. Fun to write. Waiting on my mother’s comments… 🙂
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I did likewise. telling new people to run while they still could, but waiting just a few years to retire, I chose to stay. lol
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