Written by: Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“HE SAID – SHE SAID – THEY SAID… ” BUT WHO IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
This is not the “great resignation” period that has happened because of Covid, it has been a point of discussion for over a decade, but nobody has been prepared to pause and listen.
“Entitled” they have said. Now they are scrambling to point the finger but still there is no ACTION.
With 75% of the workforce scheduled to be millennials by 2025 and millennials telling us that “what was and what is” happening in the workplace is not good enough, who is listening?
If there is one thing that is consistent, it is that CHANGE is not a welcome term especially by those who hold “POSITIONS” that serve them and not the people who they are there to serve.
I have sat around many tables and listen a great deal to better understand. The discussions are about the problems that we all face, and sadly the solutions continue to be about self (will we ever learn?). I often wonder why we find it so difficult to plan with our future generations’ best interests in mind rather than our own? “CHANGE “that dreaded word and how we struggle to think beyond the impact that it will make for us as individuals. Oh, I know the short answer – “Well we still need to survive Cathy – we still need to live and eat” but none of that will stop if we place the future generation at top of minds.
So, what prevents us from thinking beyond self, thinking about the impact we can make long term instead of for the purpose that will meet our personal needs? This has been a topic I have shared and discussed over the past decade and sadly the answer seldom creates change, except in recent times where I have begun to find people across the globe who are determined to be part of the CHANGE that we all want to see in the world.
Being part of the change for the future, is the one thing that is different between generations, especially our future generation. They are looking forward and seeing what needs to be prevented and then working backwards, but they are being told “NO”. We need to do it this way or worse still “We need to do it this way because that is how we have always done it”.
They look at what is and says “no thank you” but we keep doing what we have always done.
In 2014 Harris polls showed that 67% of Millennials expressed an interest in being freelancers/ self-employed and wanted to move away from the traditional workforce.
In 2019 they shared that they felt that results matter more than tenure – and that they were turning away from a 5-day week as they didn’t see work flexibility as a privilege but as a requirement!
By 2020 the US has shown that 50% of Gen Z is now self-employed / freelancing and 44% of Millennials are doing the same.
Who said?
They have been telling us, but we have not been listening. They have been leaving the traditional workforce, but we keep creating systems to drive them back to old workforce.
Who is listening? Who is watching? What are we doing to support them?
Nobody is actually listening because we continue to do what we have always done, from the school educational system through to the employment process.
They said…
As a global business advisor, the one systemic issue that I see across all businesses is the lack of business and financial acumen held by people in leadership or by those running a business. They have wonderful skills in key areas and likely have been promoted through tenure (the thing that Millennials have highlighted is not in alignment with their values – they want to see outcomes) so what have we done about it?
We don’t know it all. We all have more to understand. This is the beginning of acceptance, diversity, inclusion. Yes, there is a lot more, but if we are not prepared to listen and to look forward and plan today to solve the issues that we face in the workplace in the future, how are we leading?
To lead you must first be prepared to do things differently. You must be prepared to take a risk (yes of course to mitigate risks for failure but take a risk).
You must be prepared to make yourself redundant because what you did, will no longer serve where we need to be on a global basis.
Plan with the future in mind. That means to educate those yet to come so that they are better prepared to succeed when they get there.
Who is doing?
There is so much that I can share here but let’s start with self.
Knowledge is only of value when shared. If you know the reasons why things are better done one way over another, share this upfront as well as what has failed so that those around you start form a higher baseline.
Planning for the future may need investment now that will not serve you for what you are doing today, but if it will serve the needs of those yet to come, its our responsibility to begin the process now so they have solid foundations to build on.
Be prepared to hear what is wrong. STOP. LISTEN and have no BUT’s.
Give your chair at the boardroom table to someone who will be part of the future. I know its scary, but they will manage – in fact, they will lead because you will be behind them showing them that they can.
If you are part of the Commonwealth, the Government, make decisions about education that will serve our youth the way they need to rise, not about what will fill a gap today in the economy.
Think about what our youth are saying and help them succeed by thinking differently. Our children do not want to do what you and I have done. They want to be self-employed so let’s look at what we are providing in schools and give them the skills and tools and the curriculum that will see them to succeed.
Our children need to be leaders today so that they can lead a better tomorrow for themselves and the world. They don’t need a structure that served in the industrialisation age, they need to have skills that will enable them to make better decisions about fiscal risks, business risks, values, boundaries, mitigating risks and second order thinking because they will be freelancers who don’t want to rely on someone else who will pay their salary. They don’t want to work 5 days a week and do the things we have done for the last century. They want to look at rejuvenation and things we are yet to even understand.
What will you do?
No matter who you are, where you are. The future has changed, and it does not matter what others say, but it does matter what you do.
The choice is yours. You can create an impact, or you can play safe and stay in your lane and continue to sleepwalk through life.
If you are genuinely an impactful leader you will contribute to the success of our future generation by doing things differently and by being prepared to ask WHAT ELSE?
Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cathy Dimarchos is an award-winning business advisor, mentoring and coaching leaders internationally, and is an indefatigable philanthropist who believes we can all contribute to lifting the baseline of people across the world one person at a time.
She founded Solutions2you with the purpose of impact so that she can serve others and leave a lasting imprint. As a professional advisor and motivational voice, Cathy dedicates her time to perfecting a combination of people, business, and situational skills. Her values take center stage, and business becomes honest and expressive. She believes that knowledge exchange leads to self-reliance with effective and sustainable outcomes.
Her Advisory services extend to New and Established entrepreneurs, teams and large corporates and support people to become antifragile in a world that is forever changing, stretching their boundaries.
“When we rise, it is important to also lift those around us”
