You Are The Institution

It has happened twice now.  It’s a similar conversation each time.  It’s a good reminder of the programming we allow in our brains.

Each time the conversation goes something like this:

Gen Y Guy – I worry about where to look for a job.  I can’t go work for a big company because people of my generation don’t trust the institution.

Me - What are your career goals long term?

Gen Y Guy – I’d like to be a manager.

Me - Then, Poof.  As soon as you are a manager, you are the institution.

Gen Y Guy – Huh.  I hadn’t thought of it like that.

Companies are not humans. They are made of humans. Naming it “the institution” is another way of skirting accountability for taking personal actions to improve a situation.

So next time you hear someone talking about the institution, the man, or corporate America…help them think about the story lines they tell themselves.