Sound familiar? Unfortunately, too many of us too often hear similar statements. This article will share some of the concerns and issues related to an aging work force and what we in Colorado state government are doing about the people who are part of it. The discussion will focus on the career of the currently employed senior careerist (aged 50-64) and what can be done effectively to utilize and retain these employees. Part of the problems we encounter in managing today's changing work force result from outdated ways of thinking. In the areas of mandatory retirement, our slavish insistence on a 40-hour work week for all employees, and our boxed-in lives, we insist on an artificial world. When older employees question this model, we label them problems. The folly of mandatory retirement is discussed elsewhere in this series and work hours will be discussed later in this article. For now, consider Richard Bolles' challenge to us as stated in The Three Boxes of Life. Bolles writes that we have placed unnecessary stress and limitations on ourselves by compartmentalizing our lives in three boxes: education (for the first 20 years), work (for the following 40 years), and leisure (for the years after work). In order to live effectively, we need to break down the boxes and combine education in our working years and work in the years typically designated for leisure and education. It makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? The problem is, we don't do it. And when employees ask for opportunities that would allow them to get out of the boxes, we again label them as problems. Other problems we encounter are based on ignorance about the aging process and the capabilities of older people. Although many Americans believe that most old people live in institutions, the act is a little less than 4 percent of all persons over age 65 are institutionalized. Still another common belief is that after age 65, the human body steadily deteriorates. Actual studies detect no deterioration in physical condition because of age. Results suggest that any observable decline is due to boredom, inertia, and the awareness that infirm behavior is expected. Of all the myths that color our view of older workers, those concerning mental abilities and learning capacity are probably the most dangerous to the worker. Many people accept the belief that as we age our mental capacities diminish. But studies tell us that there is very little mental decline. Speed of response may decline slightly but there is no change in intelligence and little in memory. Why is it, then, that many older people seem frightened to learn a new skill? Why do so many seem to fit that stereotype so well? Research findings indicate that these behaviors result from the negative expectations we may have of older people. In addition to general attitudes, we need to consider those circumstances that affect the work environment in which workers perform. Briefly, there are a number of changes and conditions that have an impact on career management today.