Last week, I walked into our First Friday Open House and saw a group from our Young Professionals Network (YPN) gathered in the hallway—laughing, connecting, and just being. It was one of those simple, unscripted moments that stuck with me.
Being a young professional isn’t always easy. It can be tough to find your people, build your network, and figure out where you fit—both personally and professionally. So to see this group forming their own circles, supporting one another, and creating space to grow? It was powerful. That kind of connection matters. And I’m so grateful to our YPN Committee for cultivating it.
It also made me think: how are we, as leaders and workplaces, showing up for young professionals?
At our recent IDEAS Committee event, Building Bridges Across Generations, our panel shared meaningful insights—especially around how each generation prefers to communicate and be recognized. It raised important questions:
- Has your organization adjusted how it communicates with the current and future workforce?
- Are you recognizing employees in the way you would want—or in the way they do?
There’s a lot to consider as new generations enter the workforce—many of whom grew up with smartphones and laptops, not fax machines or floppy disks. (And yes, I still leave my phone number twice on every voicemail. Old habits.)
So I’ll ask again:
How are you engaging young professionals in your workplace?
How are you building bridges across generations?
And how are you helping tomorrow’s leaders thrive today?
I’m excited to celebrate this rising generation at our Four Under 40 Awards this June. The future of business isn’t just coming—it’s already here. Let’s meet it with intention.