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In the all too common and current catch phrase known as “In these uncertain times;” I can’t even begin to imagine how students who are graduating in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks are dealing with stresses and uncertainty of this day and age. Let alone the loss of relationships developed over the years and not being able to hold traditional graduation ceremonies and hanging out with friends for any (now cancelled) after-grad parties.  

However, for the graduate with ears to hear, I would suggest reading this simple, yet truly profound article written by one of my favorite authors Patrick Lencioni called “3 Things Graduates Need To Know.”

And graduates, along with anyone else interested in reading this article, please be certain to take note of the final paragraph as it truly holds the keys to the personal homework you are now commissioned to take home with you and begin to develop for the rest of your life.

Patrick Lencioni writes (please note this was written prior to Covid-19), “As young people graduate from [high school and] college during this time of year, there is no shortage of advice being given to them by everyone from commencement speakers and social commentators to professors and parents. Some of that advice will be profound and life-changing, while some will feel generic and uninspiring. Sorting through it and figuring out which is which is one of the challenges of graduates, I suppose.

Well, I’ll go ahead and contribute my own two cents of advice here, as it pertains specifically to preparing for the world of work.

Three things stand out to me:

• First, the only reason why your GPA matters is that it is a possible indication of how hard you can work. Having said that, I’ll take a hard working ‘B student’to a naturally intelligent and lazy ‘A student’ every time. Almost any wise employer will, too. So, if you’re a graduate and skated through school, know that you’re in trouble if you don’t find a way to discover a new work ethic. And if you didn’t do as well as you wish you had but you learned to push yourself and work your tail off, rest assured that you are well-prepared.
• Second, and I know you’ve heard this over and over, social skills and emotional intelligence are vastly more important than test scores and IQ. If your college experience taught you how to interact with others in a thoughtful, appropriate way, and you’ve learned how your words and actions impact others, then you’re way ahead of the game. 30 years after my college graduation, I can say that it is as true as it has ever been in the real world.
• Finally, and this is most important of all, you should be coming out of college a lot humbler than when you went in. If you understand that you are not the center of the universe, and that the people who served your food in the dining hall are just as important as the department chair in your academic major, then you’re going to have a big advantage over peers who believe that their achievement and pedigree make them more interesting and worthy of attention than others. They are in store for a rude awakening.

If you want to be a valuable employee, team member and leader in your career, the assets that you want to acquire and cherish more than any other are hunger, common sense about people and humility. Those characteristics are your ticket to a successful career. And they’ll serve you well in life, too.”  To read the full article Click Here.

Wow, did you catch what Lencioni said in that last paragraph? To be a valuable team player and have a successful career, you need to develop “hunger, common sense about people and humility.” Not just one of these, or two of these traits, but ALL THREE of these traits which not everyone either understands or is always able to apply in the work force daily. If you are one of those graduates going, hmmm, I think I got some more lifework for homework, that’s totally okay. The question I have for you right now is are you going to make a choice for change and begin to work on the areas that need more development or not. If the choice is yes, I need some support in one or more of the 3 areas than I want to encourage you to consider seeing someone such as a qualified counselling therapist who can support your journey to being the best team player you can be and have a fulfilling New Life.