Rethinking Retirement
Could Hybrid Work be the Blueprint for Life After 65?
We’ve learned that work doesn’t have to happen at a desk from 9 to 5. So why do we still treat retirement like it’s a cliff we jump off at 65?
I’ve always been fascinated by how and where work gets done.
Over the years, I’ve seen how rigid workplace policies can fail both employees and employers.
And it doesn’t take an expert to recognize that many of today’s Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates (especially from the so-called “innovative” tech companies) aren’t really about results. They’re less about the work, and more about control - and justifying expensive office space.
But if you’ve led teams and experienced a thriving, high-trust work environment, you know the truth: mandates do not drive engagement. They don’t fix underperformance, and they certainly don’t improve retention.
Ironically, some of the same leaders insisting on five days of “RTO” are also the ones ducking out early for a round of golf (or many) - and then logging back in… from their phone, from home.
That’s hybrid work, by the way, whether they call it that or not.
And hybrid work isn’t a trend. It’s how humans have worked for generations.
Kodak sales reps, pharmaceutical reps, and traveling executives were doing “hybrid” long before the term went mainstream.
Hybrid is about working contextually, seasonally, efficiently, and humanely.
And the most strategic, future-ready leaders are designing intentional workplaces with hybrid as a founding principle. And they’re attracting and retaining top talent because of it.
All-or-Nothing Thinking Serves No One
Our culture (especially here in the U.S.) really loves a binary.
Office vs. Remote.
Democrat vs. Republican.
Work vs. Retire.
Black vs. White.
But the reality? Most people live and work in the middle - constantly shifting between various roles, identities, values, and ideas.
An all-or-nothing mindset doesn’t reflect how we actually function. And it’s failing us, not just in how we work, but also in how we imagine what comes next.
Hybrid reflects how humans actually operate.
We shift. We adapt. We move through seasons.
We don’t need rigid models, we need responsive ones. And nowhere is that more evident than in how we approach retirement.
The Retirement Cliff
When I coach retirement-minded professionals, one theme always rises to the surface: a desire to downshift. They want to move at a different pace, and to find more freedom, space, joy, and meaning.
But many are planning to just… stop. Cold turkey.
Can a leader really go from calling the shots one day… to doing absolutely nothing the next?
And with people now living well into their 80s, 90s (even 100) it’s possible that retirement could last 30+ years.
Have you ever made a 30-year plan? Even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to know what that much time off the field will actually feel like.
Which brings me to the question I find myself asking:
Isn’t there a middle ground between all-in and all-out?
Of course there is.
That in-between space, between working nonstop and walking away completely, isn’t just theoretical. I’ve seen what it looks like, and how powerful it can be.
And so what if we approached retirement the way the most forward-thinking leaders are approaching work… not with rigid mandates, but with flexibility, intention, and room to evolve?
Retirement Pivots That Shaped My Thinking
I’ve taken mini-retirements1 throughout my career - most recently, a three-month sabbatical in 2022. That time away gave me clarity, some much-needed pandemic recovery, and ultimately, permission to step back from a big, intense job.
It also gave me a chance to test whether my successor was ready to lead the company, which she was.
Then there’s my dad.
He built the business I was running in 2022. In January 2015, he made a big, public statement about retiring and handed me the President title. He didn’t hover much after that, but he never fully retired, either.
He took some cruises. Traveled with my mom. But he also stayed involved in adjacent projects, and he is still working, at 79. His ongoing involvement used to frustrate me, until I realized something:
He wasn’t done contributing.
And there was real value in having his knowledge, focus, and wisdom around.
My mom stepped away from her leadership role just before turning 70. At first, she loved it: no more commute, no higher ed politics, no people to manage. But eventually, the glow faded.
She joined boards, tried volunteering. But the structure, purpose, and challenge she was used to at her Ivy League institution? That was hard to replicate.
Eventually, she went back to work, took on a few new coaching clients, wrote a book, and joined a dragon boat team. Because as she put it:
“Book clubs get boring if they’re all you have.”
She now wonders if she retired too soon, or too suddenly.
Honestly, I wonder too.
We often treat retirement the same way we used to treat work: as a binary, abrupt, and “all-or-nothing”.
But why should retirement have to happen all at once?
What if it could be flexible, phased, and evolving? Or better yet… hybrid?
Hybrid Retirement Could Look Like…
Reduced Hours, Same Value
Part-time or flex roles for seasoned professionals who still want to contribute, just not at a 60-hour pace. (If you love what you do and could still do it part-time… why wouldn’t you?)
Consulting or Advisory Work
Mentor younger leaders, provide strategic guidance, or take on occasional projects that others don’t have the bandwidth - or experience - for.
Project-Based Engagements
Short-term, high-impact roles that let retirees stay involved without long-term time commitments or traditional employment contracts.
Legacy Projects
Support succession planning, capture institutional knowledge. Leave a roadmap - not just an empty chair.
Mini-Retirement Bursts
Three months off. Nine months on. Six-month projects, six months living somewhere else. Travel, rest, recalibrate, explore—and return with fresh energy. Repeat as needed.
Seasonal Sabbaticals
Think in decades: 65–75 will look different than 75–85. Plan accordingly for evolving needs, interests, and capacity. Adapt as you go.
A Growing Trend?
The desire to find “a more flexible approach” to retirement has been showing up more and more in my coaching practice and in the news.
I’m also starting to see it reflected in conversations with friends—and in articles like this one by Alicia Adamczyk2: “Boomers and Gen Xers are betting on a retirement ‘mega-trend’ that could transform the workforce—and when employees leave their jobs.”
With Baby Boomers retiring en masse, and Gen X not far behind, I think this conversation is just getting started.
People don’t want to disappear. They just want to contribute differently.
They don’t want to stop working (and maybe they can’t), but they do want to work less. They want more autonomy and flexibility…A middle path.
Sound familiar?
It’s the same shift we’ve seen in how we think about work itself.
If You’re Lucky Enough To Be Contemplating Retirement, Ask Yourself:
What could a hybrid retirement look like, for me?
What kind of role would allow me to contribute, without overcommitting?
What kind of people and projects do I want in my life at 70? 80? 90? 100?
Could I test my plan with a sabbatical or part-time arrangement?
Is my dream of retirement about joy, or about escape?
Who might value having my expertise for 2–3 days a week instead of 5?
It’s Also a Solution for Organizations
Retirement isn’t just personal - it’s organizational, too.
When a seasoned employee walks out with 30 years of knowledge and no transition plan? I’ve seen it firsthand, it creates a crisis.
Now imagine a phased handoff: time for mentorship, knowledge transfer, and relationship- building. Employees are prepared. Clients feel supported. Teams move forward with clarity.
Hybrid retirement models preserve wisdom, smooth leadership transitions, and strengthen culture. And they’re triple win solutions3 :
Good for the individual.
Good for the business.
Good for the customers & clients.
Don’t Exit → Redesign
Whether someone is stepping aside or stepping away, we all need more options between hustle culture and disappearing completely.
This is true when you’re a new parent navigating life with an infant, and just as true when your kids are grown and you're being called into a new role, one with fewer meetings and more moments that matter.
And retirement isn’t the end, it’s just another pivot. And, like any season, it unfolds in phases.
That’s why I encourage my clients to begin with the end in mind, and work backward from there. Take the opportunity to shape a version of retirement that’s flexible, meaningful, phased, and aligned with what matters most.
And if you think in a hybrid way, I bet you can do it.
Thinking about your next chapter? I’d love to help. Reach out here.
The concept of "mini-retirements" was popularized by Tim Ferris in his book The 4-Hour Workweek, where he advocates for taking extended breaks throughout life rather than deferring all rest and exploration until traditional retirement. Ferris, T. (2007). The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. Crown Publishing Group. https://fourhourworkweek.com
Adamczyk, Alicia. “Boomers and Gen Xers are betting on a retirement ‘mega-trend’ that could transform the workforce—and when employees leave their jobs.” Fortune, March 21, 2025. https://fortune.com/article/what-is-phased-retirement
The concept of the "Triple Win" is credited to Jessica DeGroot of the ThirdPath Institute. It refers to solutions that are: (1) effective for the individual getting their work done, (2) aligned with the organization’s needs, and (3) supportive of colleagues and clients. Source: The Path to Shared Care – Jessica DeGroot on Work and Life, Work and Life Podcast, Wharton University of Pennsylvania, 2014.
As usual - great wisdom. I have shared this with colleagues who are "approaching that age!"
Thank you Karin! So helpful to think outside the box on this. I love it. Very helpful for me now, too. Figuring out how much and what of type of work I wan to do now, vs. how much time I want and need to spend on my family and volunteer projects. Thank you for this flexible thinking. And sharing it.