How do you process setbacks?
I’m not asking rhetorically. I really want to know your thoughts on this. Because I wonder, as the older side of the workforce (e.g. GenX and Boomers), do we have space to share self-doubt or setbacks? Should we have space? Or should we have figured it out by now? And is that “should” self-imposed or an external expectation, now that we are on the mature side of the workforce?
Generational Differences in Sharing
I’ve been thinking about this after a few posts by NextGen posters last week, those in their twenties posting things like a picture on Twitter of a big cake with the number 100 written in sliced strawberries. “Just got my 100th rejection” shared an ambitious writer. “It will come soon!” or “You are the best they don’t know what they are missing” came scores of supportive responses.
In another post on LinkedIn, a young man shared that his application for a prestigious internship training program had been denied. Oodles of commiseration and support ensued in the comments.
To Share or Not to Share
Emboldened, I shared how sad I was last week that our book launch events and a big profile article had been canceled due to Covid. “It feels like postpartum depression after finally giving birth to a book,” I shared. The response? Crickets.
While current generations seem to share everything–that doesn’t come naturally to most of us GenX and Boomers. So does that mean that we are also more apt, from a generational perspective, to judge our peers when they do share?
I’m going to pose that question, “to share or not to share” to today’s guest, Lorraine Ladish, who has built an online empire around sharing everything!
How does she find the space? And is it all or nothing? With all of the influencers and coaches and advisors shouting “this is the path to success!” Is there space for entrepreneurs who are guiding and advising clients on how to do things, to share when they have doubts or setbacks?
What do you think?