Why are we crushing our young?

One of the things we're seeing through our work is that today’s recent graduates are entering the workforce with entirely different (and in my view completely appropriate) expectations... and they are getting CRUSHED. It might be a long slow boil or it might be quick and decisive but either way, it is pretty horrifying.

I don't think it's that's different than it's been for any other generation. I remember coming out of college and being what older folks then described patronizingly as "idealistic" - the education system, for all its flaws, generally teaches you to think critically and to want to make the world a better place.

Maybe that IS the flaw, even though I wouldn't have it any other way - but why are we bothering to give our kids the impression that they have a voice when in dominant workplace culture we clearly find that to be threatening?

Why do we crush our young?

Do you know who is losing out by doing so? We are. The world is. We are losing so much potential, so much vision, so much passion, so many good ideas that we quite clearly need.

And then, as a mother to two kids who are learning in elementary school some of the same principles of equity and inclusion that we teach in the workplace - and picking it up more quickly too, I would add, given that they have fewer years of socialization to undo - I have to wonder, what will they face in 10-15 years?

We shouldn't be preparing them for "the real world." We should be preparing the "real world" for them.

Banner photo by Sergey Kuznetsov on Unsplash

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