Millennials and Gen Zers, You're "Excess Talent"

 "Talent" has been the term right now for referring to the (expensive) matter of manpower, especially in professional services. So, it makes buzzword sense that when the manpower gets the boot the euphemism is "excess talent." That's what Millennials and Gen Zers are saddled with. 

All along they might have internalized themselves as special. They might have even believed that they were making unique contributions to what was creating organizational greatness. On professional anonymous networks they share their shock that such talent as theirs, along with so much education and experience, was wiped from the institutional memory. Things went along seamlessly without them. 

Back in Boomer time manpower was less pricey so we were discussed mostly in functional ways. Neither did I nor those on my network encounter being described as "talent." Instead there were titles and those were correlated with the pay scale. No fools, we knew that was what mattered: the title. We did observe that those with better titles might not be as qualified as we were but that was that. We lived with it. 

Soon enough, though, there were too many of those titles. Then GE CEO the late Jack Welch noticed that. We were axed and the process was summed up as eliminating "redundancies." Although the severance was generous (I received a year's salary and health insurance) the terminations were matter-of-fact. Just look at the terminology: redundancy. Essentially we were cogs in the machine. 

If LinkedIn had existed back then most of us wouldn't have even considered posting gushes about how grateful we had been to have been employed with such a fine organization and team members. After all, it was just a job, wasn't it. Incidentally, that ushered in the era of Everyman/Everywoman as small business owner. After such a brutal rite of passage we were never going to be employees, vulnerable to layoffs, again. 

In my current intuitive coaching what I am bearing witness to is a cautious non-attachment by clients with how they are making a living. Most don't perceive themselves as vital talent. They aren't caught up in titles. They got it that the majority of promotions aren't worth striving for. The dream is to wait it out until they can afford to take the risk of starting their own micro businesses. There they wouldn't be "talent" or "a manager." They would live the liberation and possess the decision-making ability of the self-employed.

In most cases you have only one shot in communications. Jane Genova is a communications coach and content-creator. Complimentary consultation (please text 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)


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