Aging. And Growing.

So many people refer to “aging” as though it’s a lifecycle event that has a beginning and an ending—one that occurs later in life and continues until we die.

SPOILER ALERT: From the instant we take our first breath, to the instant we take our last, we are ALL AGING.

While wrinkles and menopause are both physical signs of aging, so are puberty and adolescence.

And just as aging is an evolutionary process, so is GROWTH.

Contrary to popular belief, human beings have the capacity to grow—to learn new skills, gain knowledge, and change perspective—throughout our lives.

Yet all too many people—and perhaps society as a whole—fail to understand that the concepts of aging and growth run parallel to each other, rather than perpendicular.

In fact, aging and growth occur simultaneously and—I would argue—gain momentum the longer we live.

When we’re children, we learn things because we have to: how to walk, feed ourselves, ride a bike, read. And those “have to” learning experiences continue pretty much until the early- to mid-stages of adulthood:

How to drive a car, master a skill, excel at a job, navigate relationships, parent a child—the list goes on.

It’s only in older adulthood when most of us have the time—and the freedom—to pursue “want to” learning experiences. Which is why the tired trope of “old dog/new tricks” is so ill-conceived.

Several years ago when I was running a small nonprofit in Denver, we engaged dozens of AmeriCorps Encore Members (AmeriCorps Members who are aged 55+) to help underserved populations connect to healthcare resources. In exchange for their time, these individuals—like their younger counterparts—received a modest stipend, as well as a valuable education credit which they could use themselves or transfer to a child or grandchild.

While many transferred their education to a child or grandchild to help pay for college, others took advantage of the credit themselves to continue their educations in ways they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to do so. One person in particular had always wanted to learn Spanish, so he used his credit to enroll in a Spanish language immersion program—in Costa Rica, no less!

If only today’s employers and hiring managers understood this.

When you hire an older adult worker, you not only hire someone with experience, knowledge, and skills—you hire someone who’s demonstrated a willingness and ability to learn.

For instance, whereas you may be looking for a “digital native,” the fact is, you’re better off hiring a “digital adapter,” because they’ve had to learn and adapt to new technologies and ways of doing things on the fly—with little to no outside training or support.

And, by the way, intergenerational workforces have proven themselves to be 1) More CREATIVE, 2) More PRODUCTIVE, and 3) More PROFITABLE.

So, during #OlderAmericansMonth, #FlipTheScript on older workers once-and-for-all.

Because #AgingIsLiving. And GOOD for business.

Image credit: Yuri_Arcurs/Getty Images