Firstly, I only have 28% battery life left on my laptop and without the power adapter. My challenge: To get my thoughts down somewhere are share them through here… forgive me for grammer/spelling/scattered thoughts. 🙂
Secondly, this entry will not actually be in a letter format… because, well, who writes letters anymore?
Today, at an annual work conference, I had the opportunity to hear many cool individuals speak about, mainly, various areas of organizational culture. Yeah… org culture… but this is actually interesting, so I hope you’ll keep reading. The two folks that really got my attention were Tom Jenkins of OpenText and Alex Benay, also from OpenText.
They talked about the diversity on their team, with the only commonality among the team at OpenText being the drive to innovate. And, the average age of their team being app. 27 years old. Tom Jenkins shared his appreciation for the fresh perspectives and new ideas “young” people bring. He recognized, with those under the age of 30, as memory may be diminishing, we can see creativity and the ability to multi-task rising. He recommended all companies bring-in more creativity and multi-tasking abilities to senior levels of the organization, whether that be on boards or executive teams (i.e. senior levels). By giving the younger generations a chance!
Let’s talk about this. So, if I were to approach the CEO/President of a large corporation today, gave them the most impressive elevator pitch they have ever heard, listed what I would bring to the table if on the Executive team, then, went for the close an asked them to hire me… What would he/she say? My guess would be, they would pause, smile, then, realize I was serious and question my sanity.
Large organizations need to re-visit there HR strategies and their organizational culture. There are amazing companies like OpenText out there with a start-up mentality, willing to give young, 20-somethings a chance to be empowered, make mistakes (opportunities to learn lessons they’ll never forget), and achieve greater rewards.
What would be the pros of adding a 20-something to the Executive discussions? More creative abrasion, more learning, new ideas, possibliy PR opportunities if they did it now (think about the headlines: “Large corp hires a 26-year-old as the Senior Director of Innovation”), opportunities to grow a presence within a younger demographic, stronger organizational culture, etc.
Alex Benay talked about how companies today don’t have 10-15 years to establish themselves anymore. I would agree. Just look at Facebook and Shopify as they continue to ship new features on a regular basis. Communities like Sprouter make it easier for the entrepreneur to get their name out their and to reach out for help. Contrary to what the economists are saying, there are many opportunities out there today in terms of work. But, the exciting ones are for the Gen Y’ers because of their risk profile. Who exactly? Those who finished-up school, did the 9-5 thing for a while to save $ to eat, without a mortgage and family support are in a position to take more risks and will see more rewards. These minds are also crucial in large orgs. Intrapreneurs are the bold ones that keep organization relevant and profitable. They also need to know today’s world through tacit knowledge.
My advice to large organizations: Please consider change.
Cordially,
Esha
Copyright © Esha Abrol. Canada. February 2012
Esha Abrol's Blog 
Fantastic post Esha. Some companies embrace your mindset – but often those who embrace, only do so on the surface. I can think of many examples (unfortunately).
I think the sector/ industry the company is in has a lot to do with this. For example, I work in software… but in financial services… where the median age is likely 40. While 40 isn’t 50… it is unheard of to have a 20 something year old have a seat on the executive team. And if you’re a woman! Well, you can forget about it.
I find this very frustrating. I believe good execution is the ultimate differentiator of any company. And if a 20 year old can do the same job if not a better, then who cares? Age shouldn’t be a factor in any capacity. In true meritocracy only lies corporate success.
I’d like to add to your post and say: for companies that are looking to accelerate their growth curve – seriously, get some young blood on your exec team. It will disrupt everything and change the course of your company for better.
Thanks for your comment, Amrita! You’re right, it’s unfortunate reality that needs to change soon. I’m working on a book on this very topic – trying to do all that I can to get companies to realize, and hopefully, embrace this. I’d be happy to share the manuscript with you once it’s ready-to-go, which won’t be until a couple of months.