Life Thoughts

Sometimes you read an article that really gels with your own experiences, or evokes some significant thoughts....on any one of a myriad of subjects.

Recently Greg Sheridan wrote an article for the Review Section of the Weekend Australian. It covered his experiences with a range of older colleagues, who helped and mentored him, while a student as well as in his "formative" years as journalist. He is a very respected senior journalist these days, commonly covering politics and international affairs for The Australian newspaper.

The link is http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25333293-5013460,00.html and it is worth reading not only for the information about some of his key contacts while a young journalist, but for some key messages.......the role of personal contacts and their influences, often without realising it.

The last two short paragraphs are worth noting -

"What Big Bob and Little Bob had in common was a generosity with young people, a willingness to take them seriously. I've forgotten almost everything they said to me about foreign policy or economics, but the odd lapidary phrase stays forever.

So take care when you speak with younger people. Against all your expectations, they may very well be listening quite hard." [ excerpt from his article]

In this time when often young people are ignored or "written off", they may be listening to YOU.....so offer sage advice, particularly in the workplace, if you want a great workplace culture to thrive. It is the leaders that make that happen, and like it or not, leaders are often a little older, and a little wiser, something that younger people may just need. Not maybe right now.......but as a thought and action forming option to consider.