"....when I was your age I had to hike 3 miles to school through 15' snow drifts in -20 degree weather against 50 m.p.h. winds with holes in my shoes and no hat...."
And, it went on and on about the hardships he endured... like pedaling his bike 40 miles across the dessert in 120 degree heat to caddy at a golf course!
We both knew it was a load of B.S. but it served its purpose. I was lazy and didn't realize how good I had it.
Perhaps it's just the "right of passage," but, now I find myself using that phrase.... a lot.
And, I'm not alone. I hear the same thing from club owners, studio owners, vendors and almost all business owners.
This is what I hear:
- "What's wrong with today's kids? What's up with this whole 'entitlement' mentality? Don't they realize the economy sucks? That they're lucky to even have a job? "
And then this:
- "God forbid I might ask for a little extra work. Or, that I might ask a staffer to expand his /her job description since we had to terminate 10% of the staff."
- "Today's entry-level fitness staff never seem to ask themselves how they might make themselves more valuable to our company. Instead... it's always, 'What's in it for me?"
Some club owners confided in me:
- "My staff seems to think I owe them something just for showing up.... like I'm so lucky to have them!"
- "I recently hired a guy, paid for his new certification process, but, all I ever see is punch-in and punch-out."
Personally, I blame the "self-esteem" movement from the 80's and 90's where the kids in sports programs all received trophies even when they lost! All the books filled with psycho-babble on how to build your child's self-esteem by basically reinforcing their "goodness" and giving them whatever the hell they want!
Frankly, I'm going back to basics with the following: "When I was your age....."
Your thoughts?
Comments