I had dinner with my favorite millenials today. One of my babies waxed poetic about how she no longer works “for” anyone. She explained that she now approached jobs from the perspective that she works “with” everyone that employs her. She went on to give me examples of her refusing certain task and I quietly looked at her and sipped my lemon water and let her live. Then I suddenly realized why this generation completely works my damn nerves the way they do.
So let me debunk this myth of equality that so many of you have. If you don’t share equally in the investment, sacrifice, bills and risk that it takes to own said business, or pay you said money to perform a job, then you my love are not working “with” me at all, you work “for” me. We are not equals. You do not come to the table with a quarter of the experience and skill that it takes to do my job. The really sad part is we have a generation of young adults that don’t see the value in the position of learner. This is time to hone your skills, to watch and learn, to take on projects and lead, to show you can shine. This is when you QUALIFY your value. You are not born with it, it is not intrinsic.
The inability for this generation to believe they should be subordinate to anyone, or take a directive at any point, is why everyone is a CEO 1 year out of college. It is laughable and frankly dangerous to the markets they are working. The rhetoric “know your worth” has been taken out of context and perhaps it is time for someone who has paid their dues to clarify.
Worth has quantifiable elements. And some people are confused. We all have some intrinsic value because we are human and alive. But the rest of your value is measured by what you add to yourself and others. That value is measured by its usefulness to a particular situation. For example. You may be fine as hell and that matters and adds value on a certain level to the bedroom but it does not mean shit if I need you to solve a nuclear crisis. You can have a PHD in psychology but that has no value if I need you to do open heart surgery. People often like to think themselves more valuable than they really are because they don’t want to do the work to qualify their value in relationships and business. However in the real world you are measured in every situation, particularly at work by your quantitative worth. And baby…that take years to build. It takes commitment and it takes working “for” and learning from people that have EARNED their titles and authority. Love, T.
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