“they shouldn’t feel that way”
When you’re a leader who has risen through the ranks in your own organization (or maybe were part of a founding team there), you may look with skepticism and even contempt at the concerns of newer folks. If you’ve done your job well, those newer folks are probably stepping into a markedly better situation than the one you started with. The context, the culture, the opportunities, maybe even the workplace amenities, are nicer and more dependable. You might find yourself wondering, “What is there even to complain about? They should have seen what it was like [when I started / in year x / when we were holding this place together with duct tape and a prayer etc etc].”
An underlying take here, from you, the self-righteous veteran, might be, “These newbies - they shouldn’t feel that way.”
I cringe a little when I type that. It’s not so far from a direct quote ... of myself.
If you’re reading this, you almost certainly see how self-defeating “they shouldn’t feel that way” is. And you probably see how much more useful it is to try out a few of these lines of inquiry:
Why do they feel that way?
What can I learn from them?
What can they learn from me?
What choices from both of us will make us all better able to do the important stuff we’re here for?
(If it helps with the thought exercise, you can replace “leader who has risen through the ranks” with “parent” and “newer folks” with “your children” :warm smile emoji: :devil horn emoji: :dr becky emoji:)
-eric
