[I sent this note to all my M Com 320 students as we wrapped up this past semester.]
I wish on the last day of class for our final we could just eat Daylight Donuts and chat. But the university as well as life wants a bit of measurement, so we conform. And were I to take time on the day of the final to give a last lecture or some kind of wrap up, I suspect you would be reviewing what HATS stands for, and not really listen to me.
I’ll share those donut thoughts here as a wrap-up lecture or chat.
First, thanks for your contribution to making our class what it was. I always hope to create a good learning environment where we can teach each other. I’ve been taught well.
Some of you are jumping out into the work force about now. Your resumes are no longer just for practice. So what will you find out there?
The world has hit the Restart button financially. Rebooting usually fixes nagging problems, but often with a loss in the process. Sure it can seem like a scary time to be graduating and looking for a job. If you haven’t heard the news: its bad out there; just ask the person standing next to you if they know anyone who has lost a job recently.
I think it’s actually a good time to enter the work force. Am I just ignorant? That could be debated. But I am an eternal optimist. Why not be? I don’t recall any bestseller titled The Power of Negative Thinking.
You enter the work force with a sense of realism that others haven’t had. Others before you left college with a sense of entitlement, a sense that the world owed them something. They entered a market where some business processes and practices were sloppy because they could afford to be. Mediocrity could still get a job with an average salary.
Now, mediocrity will be searching longer while excellence will still get a job as it always has. It may take longer than before, will require more creativity, and perhaps even more patience. But there is always work for those who are willing to pay the price and think outside the rectangle.
Our economy will correct itself. People are still curious and creative and will figure out how to make it work. And yes, that might take a little while, but what is a little while compare with the rest of your life?
Greed and making money from nothing torched a fire that is burning not just the cheatgrass but a few nice homes as well. But after the fiery flames blow through and the winds die down, there will be growth. You will be positioned to take advantage of that growth—if you keep your wits about you.
As you face the future, I draw particular attention to the talk just given in the LDS General Conference by Robert D. Hales. http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1032-2,00.html
I know you are not all LDS, however the principles he addresses transcend specific religious affiliation. Among other things he said:
These two lessons are the essence of provident living. When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!” or “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!”
Imagine if everyone borrowing money for a home that was beyond their means had followed this counsel.
Follow the advice of all those who spoke and will continue to speak at these General Conferences. Don’t ever feel you are an exception to what is being taught there.
Don’t let your career prohibit you from serving in your church or from flying kites with your kids. There is just a short window where your kids will want your attention, and then you will spend the rest of your life trying to get theirs.
So I wish you the best. You are excellent! You have a contribution to make to this world. Do it! Some of that may be with your career. Do your best to stay balanced. Don’t let your career pursuits supersede your family success. Your career gets buried with your bones. Your family lives with you forever. Have fun! Laugh your head off. Eat chocolate.
One more thing. The other night I was at dinner for the Marriott School. I saw two of my former teachers-both retired, but still alive! I hadn’t seen them for 25 years. One was my M Com 320 teacher and one was my Organizational Behavior 321 teacher. I said hello to both of them and they were kind and asked what I was up to, but clearly didn’t remember me. I wasn’t that surprised because they’ve had hundreds of students in 25 years and I was eminently forgettable as a student—especially as an undergraduate.
But it did get me thinking. I can’t imagine not remembering you good people, but it may happen. Perhaps sooner than later. So if sometime we bumped into each other, and I call you Jaraslov when your name is really Margo, or Brooke when your name is really Jordan, please understand that although a mind is a terrible thing to waste—mine will be wasted.
And stay in touch. I have your blogs and I can be found here, on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and who knows what.
All the best to you!
With great respect,
Shayne
