When differentiators are obvious to people, they focus on what makes the other people different rather than what makes them similar. It happens with races, cultures, generations, sexes. Those differences in recent times are criticized. What about if they were celebrated? What if those differences were actually talents? Seasoned people have experience and wisdom. Young professionals have a long list of skills.
There’s a lot of shaming about young professionals. You can think it is coming from their Baby Boomer or Gen X bosses who have a lot more life and work experience. That would be the obvious choice. They are not the only ones, however. People born in the Millennial years undervalue themselves and their colleagues just as much as senior professionals. Why? How do you stop this from continuing?
In a team sport, the adrenaline flows fast and easy because there’s a shared natural purpose to want to win. Faced with a survival type of situation whether real or fabricated like in scouts, outward bound, etc. everyone wants to get out of a tough unfamiliar environment. Grouped together in a “Escape Room” people strive to solve the puzzle and escape. Work or volunteer situations, the natural motivation for a closely knit group is not as obvious. Is it realistic to expect group members at work or with unpaid work to be enthusiastic and want to work together?
How do you handle this? You realize a meeting or conversation is all about the other person. What to do? Do you explain their offer isn’t beneficial for you? Ask for what you want from them and see how attentive they are? Cut the conversation short? Some advice when this happens to you…
An emerging professional wants to be recognized and supported as they are still learning. They have an expectation that they will be seen by their boss in the ordinary course of working together. Is that assumption realistic? Does that person also shoulder some of the responsibility for making that happen? The other side of last week’s blog: https://susangoldbergleadership.com/do-you-know-me/
It’s worth it to make an effort to learn about and appreciate each person you work with. You want the best for and from them, and they will only show you that best if they know someone cares enough to see it. Furthermore, their dedication and engagement in work comes from being happy and being seen as full individuals. You could be responsible for the individuals on your team being encouraged or discouraged. When people are dissatisfied, they leave their bosses not their jobs.
That sports team is your organization. The right players to fill in those crucial voids are your people and the game plan is the strategy that allows your organization to continue to thrive. The time to evaluate and think about succession strategy is now. Do you have those rookies with potential, or seasoned athletes who are still strong players? And, if so, how do you keep them from being traded? Knowing the country is at full employment, and opportunities come knocking, how do you keep them loyal and poised to play?
Many executives don’t have time to develop their people as individuals with specific needs. There’s a large number of emerging leaders, who need trusted advisors who could empower and help them develop as leaders. Who to turn to?
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.
In the first Avengers movie, Nick Fury, Samuel L. Jackson’s character, is there to lead the disparate group of super-specially-talented independent people. He’s the inspiration that drives them and the glue that keeps them together despite the strong personalities and desires to be individual achievers and heroes. Do you have a team of Avengers or only a bunch of super-talented individuals? Read and find out.
