Showing up isn't half the battle
You've heard the saying or something similar, "showing up is half the battle." It's what they tell teenagers in high school to get them to go to class. By that dated logic, if you show up and do something, anything, you'll find yourself with a passing grade. In today's marketplace, that approach might get you noticed, but not much beyond that. In fact, I'd argue that if you show up and don't meet expectations, you'll be viewed as a distraction.
Members of Generation Y face several challenges that they must deal with effectively on a daily basis to prove their value, such as a limited experience base, skepticism and general stereotypes (e.g. Gen Yers don't have work ethic, they lack professionalism, they are all experts in social media, etc.). While there are also some inherent benefits that come with being Gen Y, we'll focus on what I consider the most difficult challenge to overcome: skepticism.
Skepticism is what that new middle-aged and older client has when they are meeting with you for the first time and you propose a new idea. It's that nagging feeling while that new idea you proposed is intriguing, as a young professional you lack decades of experience to take you at your word. When you are meeting with a new client, the stakes are raised, the margin for error diminishes. You haven't established a rapport with this group. Let's be honest, if you were 10 years older that new idea likely would have been far less contentious. You have to establish the relationship, prove yourself, and overcome the inherent skepticism.
While skepticism is the most difficult to overcome, it is also the most powerful. If you can make that positive first impression, back your ideas with sound strategy and proven success, and give them something they didn't ask for, you'll create a rock-solid relationship.
Darrin Hubbard, CAE, is an account executive at Ewald Consulting in St. Paul, Minn.
| | Permalink |
Comments
You make a good point, Darrin. But I'd say the cure to skepticism is experience, and you can only get experience by showing up - again and again - and getting work done. Showing up is certainly not half of the battle, but it's absolutely a prerequisite for everything else.
Posted by: andrew | March 2, 2011 10:36 AM
Darrin addresses that showing up is important, but his article also communicates that it's HOW YOU SHOW UP -- not as in "arriving in style." What's the participant's mental disposition? Passive vs. Active attitude. “They paid their dollar at the door, but they contributed nothing to the occasion… Participants are different. To participate is to act as if your presence matters." – p21 Cognitive Surplus
Posted by: Kai Gansner | March 2, 2011 11:15 AM
I think Darrin is focusing on two different things: the younger person's perception that one just has to show up and the older person's imposition of stereotypes onto the young professional. Even when a younger professional has proven his or herself, the stereotypes often remain because the older generation won't see past the age difference. Good ideas coming from the younger generation must be filtered through the reasonable member of the older crowd to gain approval... It's exhausting.
Posted by: Becky | March 9, 2011 5:21 PM