I don’t know that there is too much to really concern the population currently, even though the price of oil has dropped a little, as the market still looks remarkably settled given the volatility of global politics.
If you add the return to traditional education delivery, a significant dilution of the effects of the global pandemic, the possibility of new, farsighted employment initiatives, the success of the Sultanate of Oman’s Expo pavilion in the United Arab Emirates, a return to full operational capacity at the Muscat International Airport and the consequent boost to the tourism sector, things don’t look too bad at all. In fact, better than ‘not too bad,’ considering where the nation was a year ago.
Those who look at life with a ‘glass half full,’ window on the world must have been tearing their hair out for the last couple of years, while the ‘doom and gloom merchants,’ the ‘glass half empty’ mob were having a ‘field day.’ Now however, it appears that yin has rediscovered yang, and dissimilitude can once more step back into the spider’s web of academia and thesauruses. Smiles are reappearing, laughter is being heard, and there is ‘joy to the world’ all over again.
Amidst the euphoria however, a word of wisdom to the younger generation, the twenty-somethings, who will look to make their way, in their world, quickly. No, not quickly, but too quickly, and while it will be your world one day, that day is not yet upon us. Why? Because youth may well be the gift of nature, but maturity is the gift of age and experience, a work of art. Mona Lisa wears that smile because she ‘knows stuff,’ that the Kardashian’s never could.
You are the generation of this time, but don’t confuse that reality with any impression that this is your world, not yet. From real, community, society, national, global, and universal perspectives, you have hardly learned to walk, let alone to run, and yet there is an alarming sense of frustration, born of a misplaced sense of entitlement, becoming apparent on social media, on the part of young people, relatively new to the workforce, dissatisfied with their lot!
What you must acknowledge is that while the new technologies have enhanced most work practices, there is still significant human element learning to be embraced in task recognition, task competency, task completion, communications, interactions, and accountability. These are the things that the young tend to dismiss out-of-hand, saying, “Yeah, I’ll be okay, I’ll pick that up as I go,” yet they rarely ever do. These are the keys to embracing a ‘workplace culture,’ and you get this wrong at your peril.
Joseph L Badaracco is a Professor of Business Ethics at the Harvard School of Business, and he writes, “Workplace culture within which personal and professional development are most likely to thrive, is an environment that gives people the chance, or even pushes them, to try new activities, take on new challenges, and build on their experiences.” That’s the way it should be. Let your deeds define you, rather than your social media moaning.
“I’ve been stuck at this desk for two years, and I’m going nowhere, I wish I was appreciated more,” is just the kind of wet, almost idle complaint on the socials that gets the ‘mature’ generation’s ‘backs up!’ Two years is hardly time to have worked out who everyone else is in an organisation, let alone what they do, let alone where their work fits into the ‘big picture.’
Grandfathers had lifelong objectives, fathers have had work-life objectives, please youngsters, don’t fall into the trap of having any entitlement to position, until you can handle the responsibility, the accountability, and the level of respect you can offer your peers and supervisors. Better still, come early, leave late, be happy, be awesome, and be reliable. Young people always start anew, thinking they can always do better... hmmmmmmmmm.
Before you go chasing the managers desk, or the chairman’s office... you have a fair few hoops to jump through yet!
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