During the Summer of 2017 I took a break from the digital world to teach two groups of about twenty young professionals at Genesys Works. At the end of a nine week program all of the young professionals earned a paid internship during their senior year of High School.
It was a transformative experience that revitalized my love for technology and teaching others.
High Expectations, High Support #
Before we were able to train the young professionals (they're not kids by the way, kids are actually what you call young goats) we had to go through our training. One thing that stuck with me was something they mentioned in passing: "We're expecting a lot from these folks, and they're giving up their final summer before college. We have to meet those high expectations with an equal level of support so that they are successful."
High expectations require a high level of support.
This is how I lead every single one of the teams I've been on. I'll dive into the content management system: copying and pasting german, french, and spanish translations until we have everything in. I'll lead usability studies. I'll jump in and spend hours talking with legal, information security, and management to ensure that the rest of the team can focus on what they care about.
These young professionals left a lasting impact on me. I do the right thing to support others because I know that they would call me out if I didn't.
