Age gives you an edge in the workplace. Here’s how. | Melanie Katzman | Big Think

60 is the new 30; at least that's what I'm claiming in my chapter on embrace aging. When I started this book tour, I was advised to tell people that I had 20 plus years of experience. If I said I had 30, which is really what I have, I might be seen as out of touch, too old to be relevant, and that really bothered me. I'm just getting started. I feel like I'm in my prime.

I've got the connections, the information, the experience, and the desire to be generous. Research shows us that generativity flows downhill. As people age, they're able to see patterns in a broader way. They're more motivated to leave their legacy and to help those people who are coming up behind them. So rather than deny our age, I encourage people to embrace it and to embrace the opportunity to work across generations.

The people who are in positions of influence can and often will push the limits of the status quo. So people are coming up from an organization into an organization; they're going to want to see how they can make a difference. So let's get people on both ends of the age spectrum working together. New recruits and aging boomers can really change the world together.

But we have to not be afraid of stating our age, particularly if you're like me, I'm 30 plus years of experience. Let me bust a myth: we do not necessarily become more closed-minded as we age. In fact, often with age, we become more confident and better able to see patterns that previously we were either too uptight or anxious to recognize.

So rather than writing off your great aunt or the gray-haired person who's sitting in the corner office, approach them. Have the conversation and recognize that there's a really good chance that they are in a position because biologically they are becoming more and more wired to think broadly, not get caught up in the specifics, and recognize the grand patterns that ultimately may help you find the solutions to difficult problems.