Doesn’t it seem like undivided attention is going the way of the dinosaur?

Several months ago, I was introduced to a writer/consultant by a colleague who thought we’d have good information and contacts to share.  It turned out we were both in NY at the same time, so we met for a drink in a small, trendy bar outside of Grand Central Station.  After a comfortable and informative introduction, he mentioned that their family’s new nanny was starting that day and we shared stories about kids and their care givers.  In the 90 minutes that we spoke, he took several phone calls about the nanny and some business dealings that were time critical.  The calls were fairly short, and he answered each call apologetically.  I wasn’t angry or insulted, but I was uncomfortable as I just sat there while he was on the phone.  I found it embarrassing to be doing nothing while waiting for his phone conversation to end.  I eventually pulled out my notebook and started writing as each new call began.  I know he meant no offense at all by taking these calls, and I did understand why they were a higher priority than our conversation.  The reason I understand this so well is because I can’t even count the number of times I’ve done this to someone else.

The other day, my son wanted to show me how a marble went through his very elaborate marble run.  “Look, Mommy, look!” he implored until I turned away from my email  to look at his structure.  He let the marble go.  I watched for a moment.  Then, without even knowing I did it, I turned back to my email.  When the marble landed at the end, he said, “Wasn’t that great?”  “It was!” I responded.  Then he said, “I’m going to do it again, and this time you actually have to look.”  Busted!  I couldn’t seem to tear myself away from email for the minute it took for the marble to go through that run.

Before you think I’m a terrible parent, I should mention that he does the same thing to me.  We’ll be riding in the car having a conversation, and the next thing I know, he’s playing with the GPS. “I was talking to you,” I said.  And he responded, “I know, I was listening.”  Then I said, “You weren’t listening, you were playing.”  And he responded, “I was listening enough.”

That “enough” got me thinking:

When my students use their laptops during class, and I know they’re not all taking notes, are they listening enough? 

When business people  in a group meeting with laptops open are listening with one part of the brain, but composing an email with the other, are they listening enough?

When you’re on the phone with someone and you hear that light tapping noise in the background, is that listening enough?

I don’t really know the answer to these questions, but I do know that we’ve hit a point in general communication where productivity, perceived or otherwise, trumps manners.

So, perhaps, as we think about gifts this holiday season, we should all consider giving the people in our lives the gift of undivided attention.

They’ll love it!

Happy Holidays!!!

Laura

Clients have told me that one of the challenges they face with some Gen Y employees is a reluctance to do the same type of project multiple times.  One client lamented, “These employees have just moved beyond the training phase to where they’re really adding value, and they tell me they want to do something new because ‘they’ve done that already.’”  In fact, this generation tends to (consciously or subconsciously) view their early post-college work experience as another enrichment opportunity.

Even in the best of times, Gen Y’s were impatient in a work place that didn’t offer frequent new skills, new projects and new promotions.  Clearly, these are not the best of times. In better times, Gen Y’s would leave an organization that didn’t provide daily growth opportunities.  Now they are more inclined to just “check out.”
 
So, what’s an organization to do when they have trained these talented, new employees but are faced with an economy that has caused them to narrow the list of projects to which they could expose these employees?  How do they keep their Gen Y from “checking out” and how do they avoid a retention challenge as the economy slowly improves?

Below are three (free or inexpensive) suggestions that any company, large or small, could implement to continue to engage their Gen Y’s, provide critical learning opportunities, and confirm organizational values that are important for this complicated generation.

Give Back and Grow

Through constant Internet access and enrichment opportunities, this generation is very well aware of world troubles from economic challenges to environment ones.  They passionately want to help.  They want to “do good” in addition to “doing well.”  A conversation with the head of an MBA program confirmed that in the past few years more of their program’s students wanted to work for not-for-profits than ever before.  So, leverage this passion by encouraging a group of Gen Y’s to run a “do good” program in addition to their current set of responsibilities. 

But put some parameters on the program – the work they choose needs to have a positive impact on the company (direct or indirect) and provide a significant learning opportunity for the team.  Parameters should also be created around the amount of time that can be spent on these projects.  Here are two examples:

An internal program could be creating a campaign to reduce the use of paper in one group or across the organization.  The team would need to research a baseline, determine the area that could have the most impact, create a plan, communicate the plan, get the staff on board, track the results, and then document and communicate the environmental impact, and potentially, the economic savings. 

 

An external program could be selecting a “strategic” not-for-profit, determining a need, coordinating a team, meeting that not-for-profit’s needs, and communicating the efforts back to their employer.  By strategic, I mean a not-for-profit that has some connection to the organization either in expertise or where having undertaken this project could create goodwill with potential customers/clients.  I suggest this not to detract from the good deed with an ulterior motive, but to provide a chance for young talent to think about how to leverage their efforts to positively impact not only the not-for-profit, but also their employer.

Both these internal and external projects provide young talent with an opportunity to drive something they care about, create a significant improvement and thereby a positive impact for their organization, and strengthen their project management and communication skills which their current projects/tasks may not provide.  By requiring that they “make a case” for their project, they get experience in creating a proposal, pitching a project, and having to think strategically about their organization.  Encouraging/enabling them to undertake such a project will also create a higher respect for their organization.  These successful projects will give them bragging rights and positions the organization well among these employees’ peer groups.  That will help when hiring picks up and the search for candidates becomes more competitive again.

Search for Value

Gen Y’s do not want to just work for a paycheck. So many Gen Y’s get frustrated with their jobs because they don’t see how their efforts positively impact the business.  They don’t feel their work really matters.  Well, every organization has things it could do better.  Every project portfolio likely has projects that have stalled, have fallen off the list, or require a fresh set of eyes.  Point a team of ambitious Gen Y’s at one of those projects or, depending upon the staff size, create an “Impact Competition” where Gen Y (and perhaps other) teams are formed to propose and conduct projects that will improve something about the organization.  The project with the highest impact wins.   As with the projects discussed above, criteria in terms of type of project, quality attention to existing responsibilities, and time spent on these new projects must be clear.  The results of these types of projects are the improvements they bring; an opportunity to get not only the Gen Y’s, but also others in the organization energized; new skills (see list above;) new connections across the organization; and more loyalty from young talent.

Reciprocal Mentorship Programs

The traditional autocratic supervisory/management style with an underlying approach of “You’ll do what I tell you to do” is rarely effective with a generation that has been raised to believe their opinions count and encouraged to weigh in on family decisions since they were young.  They work most effectively with a more supportive, coaching style.  A strong manager can provide a lot of this.  But organizations should never underestimate the power of a well-placed, caring mentor, generally someone other than the employee’s manager.  

In the traditional sense, a mentorship is a “supportive relationship sustained over a period of time between a novice and an expert.  A relationship where one wiser and more experienced person assists another person to grow, learn and develop his/her vision for the future.”  Gen Y’s are generally very respectful of their elders and those with more experience.  Yet a critical trait of this generation is their expectation of respect in return.  Given that these creative, digital natives have valuable expertise to share, wouldn’t a “reciprocal” mentorship arrangement be more effective for everyone involved?

A reciprocal mentorship assumes that each participant is both novice and expert. Both come to the table willing to teach and willing to learn.  Established staff can help Gen Y’s learn important skills, fit within the culture of the organization, and navigate different departments and career paths.  Gen Y’s can help established staff members undertake a new approach to problem solving, learn new technologies, and become fluent in the latest acronyms. These programs can be as simple as a thoughtful, pro-active paring and some stated ground rules or as rich as providing facilitated monthly enrichment sessions and semi-annual catered gatherings.
 
The results will be a fresh perspective for established staff and increased job satisfaction, a stronger connection to the organization, and more organizational loyalty for Gen Y employees.  Everyone wins!

Any or all of these approaches will help organizations get stronger engagement from their Gen Y employees.  Done effectively, with passion and fun, they could get stronger engagement across the organization as well.

But what happens when there are differences of opinion and approach beyond just the use of language?  For example, a Gen Y comes into a new job and sees the use of an older technology that causes a process (and potentially the employee) to be less efficient.  In the new employee’s mind, the frustrated thought is, “This is ancient!”  Even if the employee doesn’t actually say that, it can usually be read on the employee’s face. 

Managers are not without insensitive reactions of their own.  When the employee questions a system or process, a response is likely to be that the employee is “naive,” “doesn’t know what he or she is talking about” and “should speak up only when he or she understands the situation better.”

Neither of these attitudes or approaches will lead to an open discussion, an exchange of ideas, and potential process improvements.

Another area that seems to bring quick disagreement is around the use of Internet and social networking tools in the workplace.  When organizations block the use of these tools, it’s generally a way to increase focus, productivity and security.  However, most Gen Y’s view blocked access to Internet and Social Network tools as significantly reducing their ability to work effectively.   Much has been written about this conflict including a recent article by Martha Irvine entitled, “Young Workers Push Employers for Wider Web Access and my “Social Networking Tools – To Enable or Disable Access?”

You can only imagine how contentious and heated a conversation between a manager and Gen Y can get around this topic.  Whether stated or unstated, it will eventually degrade into “This is ancient!” and “How naive.”

Let me offer a different approach – 4 magic words.

When someone makes a statement or responds to a question and you strongly disagree with the premise or conclusion, respond with a simple:

I SEE IT DIFFERENTLY

as in, “That’s interesting.  I see if differently.”  Then proceed to make your case with an unemotional, well-constructed counter-argument.  Saying “I see it differently” is not saying, “you’re wrong” and it’s not saying “you’re an idiot.”  It’s saying “give me an opportunity to explain my point of view which differs from yours.  Then we can discuss it.”  It lets the listener listen and not immediately get defensive.  It gives both parties an opportunity to see the other’s side and potentially reverse some or all of their position without losing face.  Done in the right tone, it allows the listener to say, “I never thought of that.” 

Think of the how much better your dissension will be received if it begins with those 4 simple words.

Sitting at the next table was a guy in his early twenties who was trying to be patient as he waited for someone who was obviously late.  It was about 9:20, so I’m guessing the meeting was scheduled for 9:00 or maybe even 8:30.  He took out his cell phone and dialed, but stopped the call abruptly deciding not to complete the call.  He took out the laptop he has put away earlier and started to type.  Finally, the person he was waiting for arrived.  It was a man in his 50’s and it appeared as though they were meeting for the first time.  After introductions and apologies, the conversation began. 

The older man started telling the younger man about the struggles in his early career, working several jobs to get through college and several businesses he had started that failed.  He proudly described each challenge as a thickened scar that was now overlaid with a badge of courage.  The more difficult things were, the more proud he became as he described them. 

Observing the pride in the speaker and the admiration in the listener made me think about my son who gets impatient at the first hint of not knowing how to approach a project; my students who became instantly frustrated when I wouldn’t give them a template for the project plan I’d assigned; some (not all :-)) of my career launcher clients who, despite the poor economy, still expect magical sweat-free job offers to materialize; and organizational clients who are managing new-to-market employees who want everything spelled out for them.

It made me think about the value of the struggle.

Now it’s easy to talk fondly and nostalgically about struggles of the past.  It’s much harder to appreciate them as you go through them, when you’re not assured a positive outcome.  It’s perhaps harder still to watch as other struggle around us.  There’s a huge gap between not being supportive and “doing it for them.”  But, there’s a fine line between helping too little and helping too much.  With Gen Y, we’ve clearly been on the helping too much side of that line.  In The Transitional Parent I wrote of children, teenagers and young adults who are always looking for someone to help them get from zero-to-one, not dealing with disappointment, and jobs that are disposable as soon as something is not perfect. 

Well, it’s no wonder that Gen Y’s are not experienced in bouncing back from disappointment, need so much direction, and bolt at the first sign of difficultly or things that are not to their liking.  We (as parents and teachers) do too much smoothing for them.  For example, regarding Gen Y’s weakness at going from zero to one, we often do so much smoothing for them (behind the screens) that they might not even know where zero is.  They come into the project at step one and can think they’ve mastered the full project.  What a shock when they get into the workplace and get “fix this” as their assignment.  Not, here’s the problem, here’s the background, here are the tools you’ll need, here’s a model you can follow, and let me know if you need any help.  Just “fix this” can leave them paralyzed, be cause whether they realize it of not, they haven’t had much experience with a simple “fix this.”

The effort to avoid a struggle is natural and understandable.  But struggles are where you grow the most.  My “Information Technology Leaders” and “On the Career Path”   interviews with executives have demonstrated that struggles and mistakes have made for the best learning and growth opportunities.  The one that immediately comes to mind is my interview with Tamra Chandler   Tamra was the Managing Partner for the Pacific Northwest Business Consulting practice for Arthur Andersen when the Enron case occurred.  In the interview Tamra described her realization that the Enron debacle was going to take Arthur Andersen down.  She spoke of the difficulty of orchestrating an arrangement that was in the best interest of her staff.  The decision to take the team to Hitachi Consulting came after long nights and challenging negotiations.  It eventually turned out great for Tamra and her staff.  It also positioned her to start her own company PeopleFirm, a consultancy that focuses on helping organizations build a successful “people strategy.”  The Arthur Andresen transition was extremely difficult, but it strengthened Tamra in many ways that led her to greater success.  Struggle does that.

Struggle is where you find your strength, learn that you can push beyond your previously assumed capabilities, find creative solutions, and learn that you can and will come out the other side.  Throughout your life, your struggles are your rights of passage. 

So, when we protect our children and students too much from ever having to struggle, we’re actually doing them a disservice.  We’re denying them the growth opportunities that will make them stronger and assure them that they can do it.  When we step in too much, we can taint their success rather than assuring it.  We’re also sending a subtle message that we don’t have faith that they can break through the struggle.  They’ll then always be looking for someone to save them, rather than knowing they have the strength, creativity, and potential to succeed on their own. 

So parents– let your kids struggle as the work they need to do doesn’t come to them immediately.  Before you step in, remember the toddlers’ pride when they buttoned buttons and tied shoes all by themselves for the first time.  Think about the broad, true smile of your teenager who made the team without your call to the coach or got an A on a large project that you didn’t help with.  They know the difference between succeeding on their own and the success with your backing.  One clearly means more than the other and you both know which.  Stepping in too quickly also makes kids lazy.  They don’t need to try their best or work their hardest because they know you’ll step in a do it for them. 

Before you step in to provide “smoothing” assistance, I encourage you to think about why you help so much.  Is it because it truly hurts you to witness your struggling child or because you can’t stand the whining anymore?  Is it because you really don’t think your child can do it and needs your help or because you feel great by being able to help.  Is it because your child is really in trouble or because you need to get on with other things and can’t do that while your child is in struggle mode.  Think about which one it is before you step in.  Children need to know that their parents are a loving safety net, but they also need to know that their parents will give them the room to learn and grow on their own.  When a child says “I can’t do this,” and you step in, you’re saying, “you’re right you can’t do this.”  That’s what they hear.  (FYI, I’m not passing judgment here, I’m holding up a mirror.)

Teachers –don’t just give your students a template and a “clue” day one, make them figure it out.  I know it’s far easier to give them a template that they can fill in – it’s easier to assign, easier to grade, and easier to get a better result early.  But are you helping create future leaders who will think for themselves or creating employees who can fill in the blanks and do what they’re told without sufficient thought or sweat?  And give the constructive criticism if it’s warranted.  In my experience, students value the harsh comments if they know you truly care about their growth and success, and you’re not cruel.  And give the low grade when appropriate, even though it will likely mean an unpleasant conversation with a student and, possibly, an even more awkward conversation with a parent.  I know it takes time to have the depth and clarity to prepare for those conversations.  But when you give the better grade when it isn’t earned, you’re resetting a standard.  You cut corners by avoiding the need for intensively detailed feedback and the conversations that are never any fun, but the message to students is that they can cut corners.  (FYI, I not passing judgment here either, I have two mirrors  )

Managers  –given that parents and teachers didn’t do it, you will likely have some new-to-market employees who have never really had to use their full capacity to address a challenge.  That overlaid with their inherent lack of patience and desire for immediate results will create a challenge.  If you give them too much background and provide all the smoothing they desire, you will be perpetuating the problem.  If you don’t provide it, you’ll be viewed as unsupportive.  Tough spot. 

This is why Bruce Tulgen of Rainmaker Thinking refers to Gen Y as “the most high maintenance workforce in history.”  Part of your job in effectively managing Gen Y will be walking that tightrope between providing too little direction and too much.  As you provide “just the right amount” of direction and training, let them know that you need them to figure things out for themselves and to work through resolving an assignment’s ambiguities, even if it makes them impatient with you and themselves.  Be there to support and encourage, but don’t just give them all the tools or create the framework for them.  Reassure them that you know they can do it, but be balanced with constructive feedback that will help them grow from their mistakes.  As with teachers, if they trust that you care about them and the constructive feedback is thoughtful and accurate, they’ll appreciate it, even if they bristle a bit.  It won’t be easy or low maintenance, but you’ll be helping to create a confident, self-reliant and successful employee, and isn’t that a manager’s job?

Gen Y –I truly believe you are an incredibly high potential group.  But technology, the internet and all the “smoothing” that’s gone on in your support seems to have left you, not only super efficient, but also extremely impatient.  When a struggle arrives, your efficient-minded approach (which often serves you well) can backfire in encouraging you to look for a work-around or exit, rather than embracing the challenge for what it is.  So whether it’s your parent, your teacher, or your manager, take a breath before you ask for help and take an even bigger breath before you accept it.  A simple, “let me give it a try first” can create a wonderful learning opportunity.  Take a bigger breath still before getting frustrated with your parents, teacher or manager when you don’t get what you “need” in term of their support.  Maybe they’re giving you the gift of opportunity to earn some battle scars and badges of your own.

Here’s what I’m starting to see and what I expect will happen.

In short, Gen Y’s may be less choosy about the jobs they accept or the positions they stay in, but they won’t be able to outrun who they are.  They might accept a position that doesn’t offer time and place flexibility, or doesn’t pay as much as they’d like, or isn’t what they’re really interested in, or has a command and control management structure.  They’ll convince themselves that it’ll be OK and that they need to shift their expectations.  They’ll be able to do that for a while.  But, if the job and culture are not satisfying, eventually who they really are and what they really want from a job will overcome why they made the decision in the first place, and they’ll either leave or worse, just check out.

It’s not just Gen Y.  This kind of thing happens to everyone.  Below is a Gen Y example followed by my example.

Lack of Time/Place Flexibility loses a company a great hire that they’d invested in

I recently met with a former student who has started an amazing not-for-profit called Construction for Change http://www.constructionforchange.org/.  His story of the job he left went something like this. 

“I took a job in the field I wanted.  The work was interesting, I was getting great opportunities and I was learning a lot.  But they required all the work to be done on site and there was an expectation of 9 – 12 hour days.”

 

“Was it the kind of work that needed to happen on site and was there so much of it that it required all that time?” I asked.

 

“No and that’s what bugged me.  I wouldn’t have minded putting in the hours if it really needed to take that long.  But it didn’t.  And needing to be on site all the time left me with no flexibility to get other things done.  I had this not-for-profit idea that I was really excited about and needed the time to work on.  I know I could have done both effectively, but not if I had to be on site for so many hours a day.  I knew it was a tough job market.  But, after a year and a half I left that job anyway.  I now work part time for a different company and part time on my own not-for-profit.  I’m much happier and I’m building something that’s really important.”

Saying it’s OK (to your hiring manager and yourself) in an interview is easier than living it everyday

Many years ago I was being interviewed for a job I really wanted.  One of the downsides of the position was that it reported to two people.  I’d had that situation earlier in my career and never felt comfortable with it.  But I loved the company and really wanted the job, so I accepted the position and told myself that I’d learn to live with the dual reporting relationship.  Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad this time.  Well, I was right and I was wrong.  I did love the company and also loved the job I was in.  It had that perfect balance of leveraging my strengths and providing opportunities for me to grow in new directions.  But the dual reporting relationship was driving me crazy.  My performance was suffering.  I was becoming crabby and snippy to the people I was hired to support, and resenting any recommendations made by one of my managers who had now become a good friend.  It may seem petty, but I resented that I had to report to this person who I viewed more as my peer. 

Just at the frustration point where I was considering leaving, the person I considered more peer than manager announced that she was leaving.  I took on her responsibilities and continued to report to my other prior manager.  I was saved from a series of uncomfortable conversations (“You knew this was a component of the job and said that you were fine with it . . . “) or from having to decide whether it was worth leaving over.  But, the bottom line was that I knew before I took the job that it would probably bother me.  It was acceptable for a while, but I couldn’t sustain the unnatural acceptance long term.

I recently conducted a “Give & Take” session at a University.  In the past when I asked student what they dread about entering the workforce (after a discussion of what they were excited about)  the response had generally been around lack of flexibility and constraints on their time.   Now what they dreaded was having to take a job they didn’t want. 

So, my projection is that Gen Y’s approach to work in this economy is that they may accept jobs they don’t really want telling themselves they’re doing what they have to do.  But when it comes to the day to day acceptance, they may be somewhat more tolerant initially, but will eventually leave or check out if the work and the work environment are not stimulating and not supportive.

 
For manager of Gen Y, same rules as in my past blogs still apply.  As I wrote in “Gen Y Retention in a Tough Economy” http://onboardinggeny.com/gen-y-retention-in-a-tough-economy/ retaining employees is only valuable if those are happy employees. Retaining unhappy employees is worse than losing them.  Take a good look at your positions, policies and culture through Gen Y glasses:
     Time Flexibility
     Place Flexibility
     Dress Code
     Salary
     Feedback Frequency
     Promotional Frequency
     Respect for employees
     Access to Internet
     Access to Social Networking tools
     Current technology tools
     Variety of Tasks
     Opportunities to work on “goodness” projects
     How closely work is tied to what’s important to the business
     Working with people your own age

Remember that many of these things are important to all the generations you work with, not just Gen Y.  This assessment is helpful in two ways:

First, think about what you can change and what you can’t.  What you should change and what you shouldn’t.  And make sure you know the difference between the “nice to have” and the “must have” issues that will make your Gen Y’s so unhappy that they check out or leave.  A recent Harvard Business Publishing Management Tip entitled “Switch to Task-Based Job Assignments” references a great article called “Think Task, Not Time” written by Tammy Erickson almost two years ago  http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/erickson/2007/03/think_task_not_time.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-MGMT_TIP-_-JAN_2009-_-MTOD0116.  It still resonates today and provides an example of something businesses can do today that will be appealing not only to Gen Y, but also to other generations in the work force.  Other thoughts on how Gen Y is not so different, but more extreme can be found in http://www.ere.net/2009/02/27/the-hidden-gift-your-gen-y-employees-are-offering-you/.

Second, as you do your recruiting (if you’re doing any recruiting) reference this list (and whatever else you’ve added to it) as you interview your potential Gen Y employees.  Figure out which of these issues are really important to each candidate and see where your company stands on those issues.  If you’re too far apart on the issues that matter, it’s probably not a good fit, no matter how much the candidate insists it will be OK.  That said, some new employees will change their mind on things.  Remember that for many college students, this will be their first “real job” and they are just starting the process of learning what’s really important to them.  As I mentioned in Manager/Employee Sweet Spot, http://onboardinggeny.com/manager-employee-sweet-spot/ sometimes they don’t know what kind of work will interest them since they haven’t had the exposure yet.  It will make a patient and skilled interviewer to determine the job aspects that a prospective employee may see as negative initially, but adjust to, and those issues which will eventually become so bothersome that it will cause the new hire to check out and leave.  It’s a fine line.  Look carefully and think carefully.

Gen Y’s, three things for you.  First, use the list above as a starting point in figuring out your work values.  Add to the list anything else which is important to you and remove things that are unimportant.  Then think carefully about which of those are easy for you to be flexible on and which as more important to you.  Stack rank them if it helps.  If the job you’re interviewing for meets your top criteria, but not your bottom ones, no big deal.  Go for it.  But, if it is very inconsistent with the things on the top of your list, you really need to think about whether those are things you can accept long term. 

Second, keep in mind that full time work will be different from what you imagine, and that your ideas and what’s important to you will shift over time.  For example, I once thought the commute to the Wall Street area from the Upper East Side of NY would be truly miserable.  But I took the job anyway because I needed the skill set it would provide.  I have to admit, I took the job telling myself I’d continue to look for other jobs in “midtown.”  Turns out, the longer commute on the bus gave me more time to read and prepare for my day.  And, I met some wonderful people, one of whom, over 20 years later, is still a treasured friend.  So, I’m glad I took that job and the thing I thought would drive me crazy didn’t.  Also, things in a job will change over time; a manager you don’t care for will move on, a project will be cancelled, a new strategic direction will be initiated etc.  Fine lines, tough choices, and really thinking about what’s important. 

Third, if you’re already in a job that is not as satisfying as you’d hoped, PLEASE recognize that this economic downturn is real. Don’t view your job as disposable.  You will need to recognize that no job will be perfect and that you have a lot to learn, not just from the tasks of your job, but also learning how the organization works and learning about yourself.

Over the years I’ve counseled many students who were disappointed with summer internships to think about other things they can get from the experience and to focus on making the changes they could.  Most ended up with a fulfilling experience.  They were glad that they “stuck it out. ” They found they gained important skills from work that was less interesting than they’d hoped, but more nuanced than they’d come to believe.  And they recognized the valuable experience they got by learning that careful dance of working with their manager to continue to do the work they were hired to do, but migrate their role to other areas of interest.  At the end, they got more out of the experience than they ever imagined.

In this economic environment, it’s may be far easier to make your current job better than to find another job that meets your criteria.  This is not a time for knee-jerk reactions.  It’s time for careful consideration about what you want, what’s available, and what’s really important to you.