When I was in 5th grade, I was in the school chorus (I know that comes as a shock to those of you who have ever heard me sing!) I was part of a number called, “Listen to Your Elders,” where we dressed up in dowdy old clothes and we each danced around with a cane. Of course I was fabulous in it…if you don’t believe me just ask my mom. She’ll tell you! The point of the song (and this story) was that we should listen to those people that are older than we are because most of the time, they know way more about life than we do, simply because they have way more life experiences than we do.
The same principle applies in the professional world. There are some amazing professionals out there with 10, 20, and 30 years of experience under their belt. In my profession of Public Relations, these people are running agencies, heading up major PR departments and teaching at universities. They would not be where they are today if they didn’t know a thing or two. Which is why it amazes me when a young person, fresh out of college (or some even still in college), shows disrespect and gives attitude to one of these “seasoned” professionals. Especially when that person is their boss or their professor.
Even someone like me with many years of experience under my belt can fall prey to the “I know more than the boss” mentality. Here’s an example. Nearly five years ago, I worked for a short time at a PR agency owned and managed by someone I had been friends with for many years prior to my employment. I won’t disclose who the person is, but I will say she has a very “sweet” name! Even though I had worked in PR for nearly 12 years, this was my first experience in an agency setting. Because of that, I should have been a sponge for everything my friend and new boss was telling me about the business. Unfortunately, I let my ego get in the way from time to time and my “I already know how to do this job” mentality kept me from really succeeding in this new environment.
Fortunately, even though my employment with that agency didn’t last, my friendship with the owner remained intact. Today, five years later, as the owner of my own PR firm, I find myself implementing some of the same practices that I fought against back when I worked for her because – surprise, surprise – she knew what she was talking about! She had experience owning and operating a PR agency, so she knew what it took to be successful in that type of environment. Having never worked in an agency before, I didn’t. Unfortunately, it took me several years to figure that out.
Today, I find myself in the role of “elder” in several situations, which is quite a shock to me. Each week, I stand in front of a classroom of college students, hoping to share a bit of wisdom that they can take with them as they begin their own PR careers. I also find myself working on a statewide PRSA conference with a group of amazing young women, and me being the oldest and most “seasoned” of the group. It’s a strange feeling for me. But I think I am up for the challenge.
So listen to your elders…we’ve got a few good ideas still left in us!
