Are you worthy of assistance or an Internship?
2006 has been a watershed for me. I've learned that I have to change the way I give people help. Those around me in the business community are wonderful, helpful, compassionate people. They're committed to passing on to those who are interested, what they've learned in long and often very distinguished careers. Yet the 18 and upward generation seem to be incapable of understanding what's on offer. Some examples:
1) Student number one arrives in Johannesburg with a view to spending time in a mining house or somewhere similar. He's studying geology. On the first day of his program he proceeds to get drunk as a skunk in Sandton Square shopping mall and it takes us (no kidding) 90 minutes of trawling the complex to track him down and steer his inebriated person to a car. He was summarily 'deported' the following day.
2) Student number 2 is given an internship which is crucial to him getting into the second year of an exclusive course at a top University. He SMSs at midday of day 1 of his internship a message reading, 'I'm bored.' He sits chatting to the receptionist in the premises instead of asking questions, seeing what he can do, making notes and the like.
3) Distressed aunt calls me on 6th December to ask if I can organise an internship for her chemical engineering graduate nephew. Not for 2007. For now. Surreal is the only way to describe it.
4) Young woman starting her own business. No revenue anticipated for December 2006. I derail my schedule, spend hours working on a name for her business, positioning statements, leveraging networks, securing (and paying for) her Internet domain, a kind friend undertakes to develop and host her website free on his server plus get her an e-mail. We sort the detail for her business card and four days later she hasn't responded to any of this.
5) Young man wanting to do an HR/OD Internship. His CV comes through in some un-editable format on e-mail. We ask for it as a Word document. It comes through, unformatted with a note reading: 'Rushing into exam. Sorry I didn't have time to format the CV.' So the message is explicit. 'You obviously have or will make the time to format it on my behalf.' For his internship, a marvellous, committed to transformation client of mine comes to the party. The kid's put his varsity e-mail address on his CV (he's already on vac) and they can't contact him. So they have to call me. He's now got 2 weeks with the crme de la crme in January. Whew.
6) Two Ph.D. lecturers relocating to Oz. Can I plug them into an international organization of their preference. God's grace, I can. They send their CVs to me full of spelling mistakes.
7) A busy young mother and businesswoman lectures at no charge in a developmental program. Young kids (100% black) sit and stare at her, don't interact, don't put any effort into doing anything. She's an excellent, engaging lecturer and facilitator. The fault is not hers. She tells them what she's observing. The next week they look a little more interested. This week? Dunno.
8) Seasoned ad man talking, facilitating and mentoring 18 and over wanna-be advertising students. They drift back into the lecture room after a break as and when they feel like it. He now locks the door after the agreed return time. He doesn't get paid. He's a genius in his field. He's doing this to help them grow. Think they know this or give a damn? Dunno.
All of these instances have taken place in the last month. They're a repeat of what I've experienced throughout this year and in the years preceding it. But it's getting worse.
There's a generational mindset to whom the i-Pod, their mobile phone, surfing the 'Net and getting drunk or drugged is clearly more important than forging a career or leveraging opportunities. Those opportunities are not cost-free to the mentor. I have people claiming my professional time at no charge because they've helped one of my protgs. Not all people do that, but some do. And each time I or one of my peers asks for a favour or an internship for some young person, it's time out of a pressured diary, co-ordination of the exercise, reduced productivity on the part of the organizational mentors involved and so on.
Sometimes we have these kids living in homes in another city while they're in the programs. With rare exceptions they don't make their beds (i.e. bother to pull up the duvet!), wash any of the crockery they use, do anything for anyone except themselves, or make any positive contribution whatsoever.
After long discussions with various friends in this last week, I've made a decision. After years of going the added mile at incredible energy and personal cost for these young people, my 2007 default position is going to be 'No!' when I'm asked for help. I'm going to add: 'Give me a written motivation as to why I should help you.' Then there's going to be a sign-off by them first, on a draconian set of guidelines before I even approach my ever-patient and helpful network for assistance.
It's time for the entitlement, no-effort-required mindset of many young people to go. It's simply not OK.
1) Student number one arrives in Johannesburg with a view to spending time in a mining house or somewhere similar. He's studying geology. On the first day of his program he proceeds to get drunk as a skunk in Sandton Square shopping mall and it takes us (no kidding) 90 minutes of trawling the complex to track him down and steer his inebriated person to a car. He was summarily 'deported' the following day.
2) Student number 2 is given an internship which is crucial to him getting into the second year of an exclusive course at a top University. He SMSs at midday of day 1 of his internship a message reading, 'I'm bored.' He sits chatting to the receptionist in the premises instead of asking questions, seeing what he can do, making notes and the like.
3) Distressed aunt calls me on 6th December to ask if I can organise an internship for her chemical engineering graduate nephew. Not for 2007. For now. Surreal is the only way to describe it.
4) Young woman starting her own business. No revenue anticipated for December 2006. I derail my schedule, spend hours working on a name for her business, positioning statements, leveraging networks, securing (and paying for) her Internet domain, a kind friend undertakes to develop and host her website free on his server plus get her an e-mail. We sort the detail for her business card and four days later she hasn't responded to any of this.
5) Young man wanting to do an HR/OD Internship. His CV comes through in some un-editable format on e-mail. We ask for it as a Word document. It comes through, unformatted with a note reading: 'Rushing into exam. Sorry I didn't have time to format the CV.' So the message is explicit. 'You obviously have or will make the time to format it on my behalf.' For his internship, a marvellous, committed to transformation client of mine comes to the party. The kid's put his varsity e-mail address on his CV (he's already on vac) and they can't contact him. So they have to call me. He's now got 2 weeks with the crme de la crme in January. Whew.
6) Two Ph.D. lecturers relocating to Oz. Can I plug them into an international organization of their preference. God's grace, I can. They send their CVs to me full of spelling mistakes.
7) A busy young mother and businesswoman lectures at no charge in a developmental program. Young kids (100% black) sit and stare at her, don't interact, don't put any effort into doing anything. She's an excellent, engaging lecturer and facilitator. The fault is not hers. She tells them what she's observing. The next week they look a little more interested. This week? Dunno.
8) Seasoned ad man talking, facilitating and mentoring 18 and over wanna-be advertising students. They drift back into the lecture room after a break as and when they feel like it. He now locks the door after the agreed return time. He doesn't get paid. He's a genius in his field. He's doing this to help them grow. Think they know this or give a damn? Dunno.
All of these instances have taken place in the last month. They're a repeat of what I've experienced throughout this year and in the years preceding it. But it's getting worse.
There's a generational mindset to whom the i-Pod, their mobile phone, surfing the 'Net and getting drunk or drugged is clearly more important than forging a career or leveraging opportunities. Those opportunities are not cost-free to the mentor. I have people claiming my professional time at no charge because they've helped one of my protgs. Not all people do that, but some do. And each time I or one of my peers asks for a favour or an internship for some young person, it's time out of a pressured diary, co-ordination of the exercise, reduced productivity on the part of the organizational mentors involved and so on.
Sometimes we have these kids living in homes in another city while they're in the programs. With rare exceptions they don't make their beds (i.e. bother to pull up the duvet!), wash any of the crockery they use, do anything for anyone except themselves, or make any positive contribution whatsoever.
After long discussions with various friends in this last week, I've made a decision. After years of going the added mile at incredible energy and personal cost for these young people, my 2007 default position is going to be 'No!' when I'm asked for help. I'm going to add: 'Give me a written motivation as to why I should help you.' Then there's going to be a sign-off by them first, on a draconian set of guidelines before I even approach my ever-patient and helpful network for assistance.
It's time for the entitlement, no-effort-required mindset of many young people to go. It's simply not OK.
