In 15 years, I want to…
Watching our latest batch of "enterns" present their mock campaigns!
Yesterday was one of my favorite days at Engauge. It was our “Entern” day, where we have a bunch of young people come to the office to spend time with our team, getting to know the agency and generally getting a feel for agency life. We spend a lot of time with our interns and I think its working.
I closed out the day and, never one to pass down an opportunity to speak to a group ;), I decided to give them a challenge. I pointed out that I was somewhere around 15 years older than most of them and I challenged them to finish this sentence, “In 15 years, I want to…” I told them to structure the remaining of that sentence against their career.
The answers that these bright, passionate, energetic, young people gave were incredibly thoughtful. I expected to hear things like, “vice president at an agency” or even, “owner of my own business”. Instead, here is what I heard:
– To be fulfilled in what I’m doing
– To matter
– To love my career and have started a family
– To make a difference
– To contribute to society in a meaningful way
– To be valued and appreciated
I was really blown away by their thoughtfulness and quite frankly their honesty. I’m not sure I could put a finer point on the difference between today’s young 2o-somethings and their parents’ generation.
So the question is, how would YOU answer this question?
In 15 years, I want to be known for something. Don’t care what that something is as long as it is positive. :-)
This isn’t 15 years per se, but it’s something I defined as my personal definition for success and I strive for it each day: “Having the freedom to create & build great people and organizations, while experiencing life with my family.” I’m hoping in 15 years this is even more amplified and work with young people more to help shape the future.
That’s a great one, DP ;)
“Be Known!!!” ;)
It’s a great question, Jeff! I used to pose a similar one to junior-high kids in a class I taught: You get to attend your own funeral, what are people saying about you? Similar answers, all about bringing value to the world.
The follow up to this question was: And what are you doing now to make that happen?
Many people forget that the path needs to be somewhat intentional. :-)
Ah, yes! “What are you going to do to make that happen?” My next blog is exactly that, I gave them advice without seeing their answers on how to achieve whatever it is they want. Love to see your comments on THAT one when I post it!
In 15 years, I want to have built something. A department, a company or maybe even a book. Just something that outlasts me.
[…] posted last week about a talk I gave to a group of hopeful incoming interns at Engauge (or, as we say, “enterns”) where I asked them to answer the question, […]
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