Dave-ologies: Interns...Sponges Waiting to Absorb Knowledge

As the summer season approaches, many of us working in Corporate America will see an influx of interns floating around in our hallways. These interns are sponges waiting to absorb knowledge. I take pride in spending time with our interns. Teaching them about life in the corporate world. Teaching them about topics I wish colleges had classes for like: your career journey, how to get ahead, understanding your personal brand, understanding what success looks like, and understanding what is important in life.

Our careers, especially in the last 15 years, are no longer a straight line up the ladder with promotions within your function. Companies are flatter, jobs are less silo-ed, employees are more apt to change jobs, we have four generations in the current workforce, and there will be a shortage of leadership in the next five years as the mass of baby boomers retire. So, what do we do? We need to understand the changing dynamics in our workforce. We need to understand the needs of the different generations. We need to understand the realities of budgets and training. We need to break some paradigms around leadership and management. We need to embrace telework and constant conversations. We need to embrace more recognition. We need to let every voice be heard. We need to embrace and support difference. These are easier said than done.

The career journey needs to be about challenge and impact. We need to teach the future leaders about education (not traditional, but the value of continuous learning), experiences (think about your experiences like a stock portfolio – better to be diversified), performance (what impact do they have and how do they perform against their peers), potential (how do they act and interact with the people in the jobs they desire), and relationships (we are in a relationship world – even virtually). How do we take these five cards they hold and build a winning hand. I like to speak to the interns about this “poker game” and as they look to move up, they need to constantly assess their five cards. AND they need to understand what they control vs what cards their peers hold. An easy visual to help them understand that life is not entitled.

And this leads me into a discussion about their personal brand. Their brand, simply stated, reflects their performance, the exposure they have had, and the perception about them. Performance is about understanding what is valued, what is expected and what they accomplished. Exposure is about understanding how careers develop in their company, who are the decision makers, what are the functions and levers that drive the business forward, and how are they taking in new information and ideas. Finally, perception. This is most often overlooked by the interns. What is their “brand”? Do they understand self-awareness? How do they view themselves as it relates to their own image, attitude and impact? How do they think others view their image, attitude and impact or their leadership (people, thought or functional). This is often an eye-opening conversation for many. Not everyone gets a trophy in the corporate world. You may get criticized in the corporate world. You may not win. But how do you rebound, learn and persevere?

Next, I try to give them insight into what success drivers they can control. We speak to finding good managers and mentors. Building their leadership skills and interpersonal skills. The value of hard work, enthusiasm and ambition. Keeping their skills “current and “relevant”. And lastly, understanding the environment they work in. If you are creative free-spirit, maybe Ben & Jerry’s is a better culture than IBM. If you are analytical and a bit OCD, maybe E&Y is better than Pixar. It’s all about matching their values and skills to that environment which will allow them to flourish. Also, finding a great boss never hurts!

Finally, I like to give them some life lessons from my own journey. We talk about the following in no particular order: taking chances, being true to your values, aligning your career with your personality, finding great bosses, trusting the inherent good in people, controlling your own destiny, saying thank you, making a difference, and prioritizing your life (family, friends, hobbies, activities, dreams, etc.). There is no work/life balance. It is just balance.

I leave them with a little Nelson Mandela quote, “A leader…like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go on ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind”. …and I sit in the back of the room and watch the light bulbs go on. Some today, some tomorrow, some by the end of summer. And then I smile. Pay it forward.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr