Eastside Satellite – Identity Shift: Coaching Clients into a Successful Retirement

September 9, 2019 - 10 am and Kirkland Library. 308 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033

Presented by

Lisa Downs, ACC, CPLP, M.S. ED
 
1.5 Core Competency and .5 Resource Development CCEUs
CCEU cost: ICFWA Members $10, Non-members $20
Hosted by ICF Washington State

Description of Course

For many of our clients, the thought of retirement (or semi-retirement) may seem overwhelming, especially when so much of our identity can be wrapped up in our work. While the financial and estate planning aspects of retirement get most, if not all, of the press on the subject, little attention is given to the emotional and psychological aspect of one of life’s biggest transitions. It’s critical that as coaches we support clients with this transition so they can create a vision of their life in retirement, craft a “new identity” beyond their current work, and feel confident in having a plan for how they’ll spend their days.

In a recent poll conducted by the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs, 1 in 4 people plan to never retire, whether for financial reasons or to not lose their work identity or because they still enjoy working. Yet, what if it’s not up to us? There’s no guarantee that a business won’t go bankrupt or a company won’t lay off workers of retirement age or a professional services firm won’t buy out long-tenured partners. What’s the backup plan? What if our clients’ lives have only revolved around work?

What you will learn:

• Support clients through use of the competency of Creating Awareness by assessing how they define themselves and what may need to change in that definition to successfully transition from their current work life;

• Identify stages of transitioning into retirement your clients may experience in service of working with them on Designing Actions and Planning and Goal Setting.

• Engage in the competency of Powerful Questioning through the use of resources and tools to coach clients into retirement, including questions to ask specific to this work;
• Gain insight into your own identity and how it could impact your own retirement transition, contributing to Establishing Trust and Intimacy with clients.

Whether a fear of being irrelevant, worry about languishing in idleness, or a concern of driving a significant other crazy with too much “together time,” attend this session to learn how you can coach your clients through these and other challenges into a fulfilling “third act!”

About Lisa

Lisa Downs, ACC, CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning and Performance), M.S. Ed., is the owner of New Aspect Coaching, specializing in career transition and leadership coaching and consulting. She focuses on supporting those looking to transition into leadership roles, figuring out what’s next in their careers, and considering what potential retirement could look like. Lisa's worked as a learning professional for EMC² (now Dell Technologies), The Boeing Company, PEMCO Insurance, T-Mobile, and spent six years in the accounting industry prior to going independent in her work in 2015.

Lisa is the Immediate Past President of the Women Business Owners organization in Seattle having served as its President in 2018 and as Membership Chair in 2016-2017. She is also a former Leadership Coach with the Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking within the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and a former board member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD),both at the national and chapter levels, and designer of its ATD Expert Coach™ program. She received her ACC credential in 2015 and is also a Certified Physician Development Coach.