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WHY TOP SIXTY OVER SIXTY?

Top Sixty Over Sixty provides unique opportunities to dispel commonly held myths about the ageing workforce, entrepreneurship and generational differences. We do this in four ways: we encourage older adults to combine previous experience with passion and purpose for their next "act"; we help employers transform their multigenerational workforces into productive, intergenerational teams; we advise businesses on how to attract and retain a diversely aged workforce; and, we show progressive businesses how to avoid age-bias in their branding and communications.

Our work:

Develops leadership skills
Increases employee engagement
Enhances innovation and creativity
Improves organizational culture
Increases motivation and productivity
Encourages engagement across generations

For leaders and entrepreneurs, Top Sixty provides a number of original and curated resources, as well as events. Please visit our resources and events' page for more information or visit About Top Sixty for more on who we are and what we do. Sign up for our free monthly newsletter, The 360, by using the contact form on the right.

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Top Sixty works with progressive businesses and organizations to maximize efficiency, innovation and prosperity. We offer practical guidance on how to engage an ageing workforce or create stronger sales opportunities for ageing customer segments.

Click here for more information on Top Sixty consulting services, or contact us to discuss your needs and get a custom quote.

Consulting

RESET

Reinvesting experience with passion and purpose

ReSet taps into the inner strengths of employees, helps them spot opportunities and move outside of their comfort zones.

ReSet proves that you’re never too old to be creative and never too young to expand your imagination.

ReSet reframes perceptions by encouraging a growth mindset and innovative thinking.

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Sign up by submitting your name in the blue contact box. The 360 provides news, articles and information on events of interest to older entrepreneurs, workers and active older adults.

IN THE NEWS

Emergenetics Wins Reader's Choice Award in the HR Reporter

Top Sixty Over Sixty uses Emergenetics in its individual and team assessments and we are pleased to see it recognized in the HR Reporter.

You can read more about it HERE
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In the News

LATEST BLOG POSTS



Back to School - 4 Ways to Access Affordable Professional Development
For North Americans, September is back to school season. Ads for school supplies dominate television and internet sites and despite our age of technology, stores are still filled with... Read more For North Americans, September is back to school season. Ads for school supplies dominate television and internet sites and despite our age of technology, stores are still filled with books, binders and other traditional classroom tools. Thinking about learning, however, shouldn’t be limited to “students”. Regular professional development is good for employers, employees and customers. Continuing professional development ensures that employees keep apace with evolving methodologies, standards and knowledge. It can also mean that employees are continuing to contribute to their teams and business by introducing more effective approaches and depending on the nature of your business, perhaps more safety. One of the limiting factors around maintaining regular professional development is cost. The cost of courses, the cost of time and perhaps the cost of travel. While not every opportunity can come at a lower price, you can find ways to mitigate costs and stay informed and up to date. Consider the following ideas when the budget is low or it’s not a big-ticket year. Free Lunch and Learns: Numerous tech and other entrepreneurial hubs across the country offer courses at lunchtime. In Ottawa, Invest Ottawa schedules numerous free or reasonably priced educational courses at their facility every month. You can check out their calendar HERE. They also promote activities provided by others on their site so it’s a great one-stop-shop. Bring in Professionals: If the cost of taking your staff to conferences is too high, then bring in professionals to deliver workshops. Using your own site or organizing your own rental space can offer a much cheaper alternative while still providing high-quality content. Look to professional associations for ideas on what to offer and don’t forget to check out Top Sixty services HERE https://www.topsixtyoversixty.com/Programs. Do it for Yourself: Don’t overlook homegrown talent. If you have employees who have knowledge that would be worth sharing, then consider creating a lunch and learn series where individual or paired employees teach their colleagues. Keep in mind that not everyone will be comfortable presenting; make sure that employees have the support they need to make the experience a positive one for everyone. Online Courses: Online courses offer a flexible and cost-effective way to continue learning. There are numerous courses offered on a range of topics by recognized universities directly or through sites like Udemy or OntarioLearn. Some courses even offer certification. There are also many online courses offered privately by subject experts on platforms like ThinkifIc or Teachable. You can also consider creating online courses from your lunch and learns that will allow everyone to access or revisit content at their leisure. Remember that people have different learning styles and not all online courses will offer the flexibility some people need to learn effectively. Below is a list of some of the sites to check out for online learning opportunities. Money doesn’t have to be the reason why professional development is halted. It may simply require initiative and curiosity. Learn at these sites: Udemy https://www.udemy.com/ EdX https://www.edx.org/ Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ OntarioLearn https://www.ontariolearn.com/ Create courses at these sites Teachable https://teachable.com/ Thinkific https://www.thinkific.com/ WizIQ https://www.wiziq.com/ Ruzuku https://www.ruzuku.com/ Related Content: Public Speaking Collapse



Still Paddling
Every summer for the past 21 years the same group of “wild” women has gotten together for an annual canoe outing in Algonquin Park. We started this tradition in our 50s and have continued well into our 70s. Read more Every summer for the past 21 years the same group of “wild” women has gotten together for an annual canoe outing in Algonquin Park. We started this tradition in our 50s and have continued well into our 70s. Our intention is to keep on canoeing until we can’t. If you ask any of us if we consider ourselves to be old, I can assure you that the answer will be a firm “no”. Granted, many of us have replaced knees, hips and other body parts and we have modified our portage lengths considerably, but we have never considered giving up our annual summer event. In fact, if anything, we gather more frequently during the other three seasons, allegedly planning our next adventure, but actually celebrating the friendship and the fact that we can still paddle. Are we crazy or foolhardy? I don’t think so. We don’t take any major risks and we adapt our portaging strategy to how much weight we can carry for the distance. Those who are truly fit return multiple times to bring our belongings to the next lake or river entry. We may not enjoy the mosquitoes and deer flies that buzz around us when both hands are occupied carrying packs, paddles and canoes, but we suck it up and depend on “After Bite” when we fall into our tents at night. Tents! Herein lies the biggest challenge---getting into and out of a tent at any time of day is a nuisance, but going out at night to the kaibo is definitely awkward. Climbing over one or more tent mates to get out for a midnight pee is an endurance test. Can I hold on for one more hour or do I really have to go now? And yet it’s the simple things that have created lasting memories for us. Sometimes we spot a moose in the marsh ahead or see a great blue heron take off. Sometimes we find the perfect rock for our sunset drinks and find two camping sites that are adjacent to one another so that we can tell stories and laugh til we cry. So, no, when we are on these trips, we don’t think of ourselves as old. The word refers to a chronological number that doesn’t reflect the way we feel. We know we are privileged to be financially and physically able to still enjoy canoeing, but the things that keep us all feeling more youthful are things that anyone can do regardless of age. All the research points to how longevity and quality of life increases if the following can become components of your life: Push yourself outside your comfort zone from time to time. It helps with perspective taking and valuing what you do have. Be grateful that you can physically take part in activity. Optimism promotes well-being. Learn. Develop new skills and abilities (reading maps, j-stroke, gain an understanding of the flora and fauna of the environment, etc.). Incorporate physical activity and nutritious meals into your lifestyle. Good health depends on it. Seek social interaction. Isolation and loneliness have been found to bring on early death. De-stress. Our annual event touches on every one of these and the whole experience is best summarized by the following, written by one of our crew. While I love the physical challenge and proving to ourselves that we still have it in us, I probably love the camaraderie more. The humour, the interesting discussions and the outright silliness from time to time are the best. You don’t have to be chronologically young to be silly, but you do have to push yourself into new situations to learn, grow and enrich your life. Related Content: Click here for tips on Managing Stress Collapse



Three Ways Summer Can Be Good For Business
In the bustle of the regular business year it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of building strong team relations and thinking strategically. The summer time or any slow season is a great time to make a dedicated effort to build bonds. Read more In the bustle of the regular business year it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of building strong team relations and thinking strategically. The summer time or any slow season is a great time to make a dedicated effort to build bonds and ensure your team is in synch. The following ideas provide just some of the ways you can build stronger ties in the warmth of the summer. Introduce More Flexibility To Employee Schedules With a slower schedule and holidays running interference with regular activities, why not use the opportunity to give employees a more flexible schedule? Long winter hours can be recouped with shorter summer weeks. Leaving early on Fridays, late start Mondays, or no show Mondays or Fridays, is one simple way to reward employees and is a popular move regardless of age. Get Together With Staff More Often It’s hard to break down barriers when you don’t spend time together. The summer is a great time to coordinate group activities. Consider building an employee garden, exploring employee creativity with a workshop, or plan a field trip (picnic, trip to the gallery, hike). Whatever you decide, make sure the activity is appropriate for all participants. A strenuous hike is only fun if everyone is fit enough to enjoy it, and a gallery tour will only work if everyone has the focus required to pay attention. Be sure to mix people up so you don’t have the same old cliques reasserting themselves. Get Strategic With Employees Summer is also a great time to reflect on activities to date and begin the planning process for the year ahead. Before vacation times start to play havoc with the schedule, have a planning meeting that captures what has already happened and the direction you want to go. Once objectives are set, give employees the summer to consider next steps and their recommended plan of action. Another meeting can be scheduled for the fall to hear their ideas. This will give employees time to research options and develop tactics to achieve goals. Progressive businesses and organizations take advantage of the slower pace that comes with summer. It’s an excellent way to build group cohesiveness. Related Content Value Your Values Effective Listening Skills Collapse