Resources and Opportunities for Encore Managers

The Committee on Senior Managers/Encore Managers has compiled an initial list of resources for managers considering their next life phase and encore opportunities.  Look into the peer coaching opportunities available for your next life phase.

JOB RESOURCES OFFERED BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCiES

• Regional Government Service JPA

WAYS TO GIVE BACK

• Serve as a coach for emerging leaders on the Cal-ICMA “Coaches Gallery”: contact Don Maruska 

• Participate in City/County Manager in University Residence program: contact Frank Benest

• Teach

• Write

• Serve on local non-profit boards

• Serve as a local government advisor through ICMA's International Program: check out career and pro-bono opporutunties

• Volunteer to serve as a resource for an Institute of Local Government program area: learn more here

• Consider the non-profit sector and the breadth of opportunities in volunteering: New Guide to Non-Profit Careers and Volunteering

READING MATERIAL

"HOW TO" PAPERS

The Cal-ICMA Committee on Senior Managers/Encore Managers has released five "how-to" papers. These papers focus on assisting local government managers who are retiring from full-time careers and wish to explore encore careers.

• So, You Want To Be an Interim Manager?

• So, You Want To Be a Consultant?

• So, You Want To Be a University Professor?

• So You Want To Be a Non-Profit Executive?

• When do I know it's time to leave?

If you would like to suggest a resource to be shared with colleagues, please contact Cal-ICMA staff.

WEBSITES

General Resources and Advice

• Degrees For the Greater Good (advice on matching academic background to nonprofit and volunteer opportunities) (http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/volunteering-nonprofit-degrees/)

• Encore Careers (resource for second careers) (www.encore.org) 

• Entrepreneur (advice for seasoned workers thinking about changing careers, or seeking encore careers) (http://www.entrepreneur.com/)

• Life Reimagined (advice on discovering new opportunities for your next life phase) (https://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/life-reimagined/)

• Making a Difference through Volunteering and Nonprofit Careers (advice on volunteering and nonprofit work broken down to different area of activity) (http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/volunteer-and-nonprofit-careers/)

• Next Avenue (advice for retirees, including those looking for work) (http://www.nextavenue.org/)

• Second Act: How to Start an Encore Career After 50 (advice to those thinking about changing careers after the age of 50) (http://www.moneygeek.com/careers/encore-careers/)

• RealizeRetirement (ICMA-RC) (advice on financial planning before and during retirement) (http://www.icmarc.org/)

• RetiredBrains.com (advice for retirees, including those looking for work) (http://www.retiredbrains.com/Home/default.aspx)

• Retirement Jobs (job resource; also some advice) (http://www.retirementjobs.com/)

• Retirement Revised (devoted to all things retirement, including encore career advice) (http://retirementrevised.com/)

• Wall Street Journal Report on Retirement (advice on several relevant topics, including finances) (http://online.wsj.com/public/page/journal-report-retirement.html)

Job-related

• Common Good Careers.org (socially beneficial job listings) (http://commongoodcareers.org/)

• Idealist.org (volunteer and paid socially beneficial job listings) (http://www.idealist.org/)

BOOKS

• 2016 ICMA Advisory Board On Graduate Education; Managers as Teachers: A Practitioner’s Guide To Teaching Public Administration.  3rd edition.  ICMA, 2016.

• Block, Peter; Flawless Consulting--A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used

• Bridges, William; Transitions

• Brooks, David; The Second Mountain: the Quest For a Moral Life

• Crowley, Chris and Lodge, Henry S., MD; Younger Next Year

• Freedman, Marc; Encore: Finding Work That Matters In the Second Half of Life

• Gardner, John W.; Self-Renewal

• Hudson, Frederic; The Adult Years

• Leider, Richard J. and Shapiro, David A.; Repacking Your Bags

• Leider, Richard J. and Shapiro, David A.; Claiming A Place At the Fire

• Leider, Richard J. and Webber, Alan; Life Reimagined: Discovering Your Life Possibilities

• Retirement Coaches Association; The Retirement Challenge: A Non-financial Guide From Top Retirement Experts 

• Zelinski, Ernie; How To Retire Happy, Wild and Free

ARTICLES AND GUIDES

• Frank Benest, Mike Garvey, and Kevin O'Rourke: "Navigating the Retirement Journey—Insights and Tips from Partners," Public Management, May 2018

• Frank Benest, Mike Garvey, and Kevin O'Rourke: "Attention Partners of Retiring Managers! Tips to Navigate the Transition Together," Cal-ICMA Whitepaper, Nov. 2017

• Frank Benest:  “Keeping the Passion Alive,” Public Management, Oct. 2006

• Frank Benest: “Renewing the Profession Through Next Phase Managers,” Public Management, Aug. 2007

• Arthur C. Brooks: "Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think" (The Altlantic, July 2019) 

• Chris Farrell: “Older Job Seekers Find Ways to Avoid Age Bias” (The New York Times, Jan 15, 2015) 

• Marc A. Feigen and Ron Williams: "The CEO’s Guide to Retirement"  (Harvard Business Review, Sept 14, 2018)

• Peter Finch: “Countdown to Retirement: A Five-Year Plan” (The New York Times, July 6, 2018)

• Lauren Girardin: "Supporting an Aging Government Workforce with Mentoring and Offboarding" (ICMA webpage, Aug. 22, 2018)

• Ken Hampian: "The Good Exit," Public Management, Dec. 2010

• Kerry Hannon: "Switching Gears to Retirement" (The New York Times, Sept. 12, 2019)

• Harding, Stephen G.: “To Teach or Not To Teach—Insights from a Practitioner Instructor” (PA Times, Dec 21, 2018)

• Harding, Stephen G.: "Getting Serious About Practitioners In the Classroom” (PA Times, Jan 25, 2019)

• Greg Larson, with assistance from Brian Moura, Charles Sakai, and Michael Youri: FAQs You Need to Know: PEPRA, PERS and Your Encore Career

• Don Maruska: "How to Create A Great Coaching Relationship" 

• Kevin O'Rourke, Mike Garvey, Rod Wood, and Frank Benest: "Encore, Encore! - Creating A Fulfilling Next Life Phase," Public Management, Jan.-Feb. 2012

• Avivah Wittenberg-Cox: “Learn to Get Better at Transitions” (Harvard Business Review, July 5, 2018)

• “Blogs About Encore Careers" (www.encore.org/category/blogs/featured-posts/)

ONE-TO-ONE PEER COACHING

To help you think about your potential “encore” experiences, Cal-ICMA has organized a one-to-one peer coaching service.  If you are thinking of transitioning into your next life phase or have already left full-time local government management, you may wish to connect with a manager who has already began his/her encore adventure.

Role of the Peer Coach

The role of the peer coach is to support you in your encore journey.  The peer coach will listen to your hopes and dreams as well as any fears and concerns you may have about your next life phase. By asking questions, the coach can help you clarify your aspirations and provide feedback about some options and potential encore activities that you may wish to consider given your dreams.  In so doing, the coach may relate his/her journey and provide any personal lessons learned.  The coach may suggest some opportunities, contacts, and ways to practice or “rehearse” encore experiences before you commit to fully pursuing them.

Coaching is a conversation.  Coaching can be a one-time conversation, two or three discussions, or an ongoing relationship depending on the desires of both coachee and coach.

Selecting a Peer Coach

Below are the profiles of those encore managers who are and enthusiastic about supporting your next life phase journey.  We suggest that you review the profiles and select one or two coaches to contact.  Each peer coach has indicated areas in which he or she is engaged as an encore.  If you interested in teaching or interim management, you may wish to contact one of the coaches who have had that experience.

Different Journeys

Read vignettes by individual managers about their encore careers.

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Arne Croce

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Ed Everett

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Mike Garvey

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Steve Harding

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by David Morgan

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Ed Schilling

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Cathy Standiford

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Les White

• My Journey Series: Senior / Encore Manager Vignette by Ed Wohlenberg

Profiles of Peer Coaches

Click here for profiles of available peer coaches in the Encore / Senior Manager program.

• Jay Baksa

• Frank Benest

• Jean Bonander

• Ed Everett

• Mike Garvey

• Ken Hampian

• Jerry Johnson

• Joan Kent

• Jim Marshall

• Jerry Newfarmer

• Kevin O'Rourke

• Ed Schilling

• Mary Strenn

• Ed Wohlenberg

• Rod Wood

A model for a peer coaching conversation

How to Create a Great Coaching Relationship, developed by Don Maruska, Director of the Cal-ICMA Coaching Program.  The model provides a sequence of seven steps to guide your coaching conversation.

Serving as a Peer Coach

If you have already embarked and wish to serve as a peer coach, contact Frank Benest.