Bursting the entitlement bubble...!

“But my mum tells me I’m great and I have already been in this job for 6 months so where’s my promotion?” 

“I am amazing, I went to a great university and you’re lucky to employ me. Where is my pay rise?”,

“I’m going to run this company someday; frankly that day should be tomorrow”,

Ah the entitled Gen Yers, god bless their cotton socks. Actually, I suspect Gen Y gets a poor rap – the ‘entitlement’ culture hasn’t crept into the room with their open collar shirts and sneakers, it was already reclining on the couch with its feet on the coffee table watching daytime TV. Don't believe me? Any of these sound familiar?:

“I’ve been with this company for 25 years. I know more than you’ll ever know about mortgage products/consumer behavior/slot-fill radial ball bearings. I can’t believe he was promoted over me”

“I have life experience that money can’t buy, now give me a pay rise” (it was hard to resist pointing out the non-sequitur) 

In reality, great organizations often need the balance and diversity that a mix of fresh younger stars and more experienced talent. But what they really, really need is performance.

Individuals (and sometimes organisations) often confuse either potential or experience with performance. A portion of the pay you receive is often a reflection of the potential/experience but most promotions and the bulk of your wage is determined based on what you actually contribute now. I often think of the high potentials as like tech stocks and shares in the early 2000s. Stocks traded higher than the potential that was ever going to realize, which led to the crash when profits were not forthcoming. Established and less exciting stock continues to tick along well based on actual performance year  after year. Over time the performance is all that really matters.

This can inform our mentality. If we continue to wait for promotions and pay rises, new projects and opportunities based on potential alone we will over time be disappointed. Early career roles where this is more likely to occur – stretch assignments based on a good education, dynamism and a sparkly ‘newness’ – but can the set expectations for the future.

I often find myself discussing frustrations with leaders in their early 30s who still expect to get that promotion based on what they could do in the role ‘if they were promoted’ and getting increasingly disillusioned as they see opportunities gifted to peers but not to them. I have one overriding piece of advice where expectations of entitlement are causing resentment.

Be: Do: Get

These three simple words articulate the way that great opportunities often present in the real world – long after early career ‘bubbles’ have long popped.

Be: Act like the role you strive for. If you want to become a senior leader then model the company values, act as though you were the role model for that role.

Do: Start doing the things that the senior leaders in the organization do. Possibly not using the executive bathroom, delegating work or signing off on expenses above your pay grade - but thinking longer term, showing a broader interest in the organization, contributing beyond you role and providing leadership (this is done from any seat in the office).

Get: This is a now a no brainer. If you’re already being and doing the things that show ‘senior leadership’ then the title/pay rise/opportunities will surely follow.

If you work in a meritocracy, then forget the entitlement mindset: ‘You pay me more money and give me that promotion then I will be able to get things done and be the leader you need. But I want to see the cash first.’ Start thinking about the

GE is the only organization that was in the first Dow Jones in 1896. It’s not an exciting stock (though it has had its moments and comprises some really cool businesses) but it has a long, sustained and successful stock career. It offers returns and growth each year and this is what investors want over time. Not so Boo.com which in 1998 offered great potential but never turned that profit (a hugely exciting investment for venture capital at the time… but who can remember it now). Aspire to be ‘the GE’ (BE:Do:GET) and not ‘the Boo.com’.