Does this sound at all familiar? I remember being a young professional in the marketing field being spoken to as if I knew nothing. I had completed a lengthy and high-level education with solid job experience. Didn’t I deserve credit for that? And, was this the best way for me to learn?
Have you ever felt someone couldn’t resist the temptation to show how knowledgeable they are – and put you down in the process? Sometimes that’s true. However, there may be more to it. Could your ego be getting in the way of learning something valuable? Mine was. And it made me wonder what I was missing. In some cases, it was the opportunity to reach potential clients.
With gratitude to the 16 young leaders who let me into their honest opinions. I asked them, “What is the respectful environment that allows you to perform at their best? Describe it.” These are the responses I received.
I was interested in what emerging professionals had to say about the subject of respect in the workplace. They are more self-aware than previous generations. Value and values are always on their mind. I wanted to simply listen and present their personal perspectives without commentary, in an effort to help employers work beneficially with Millennials, rather than being frustrated or confused.
