The New Generation: 5 Keys to Navigating Professional Success

I recently had a chat with my 20-year-old nephew, who told me: "Aunt, we are the new generation, and our ideas are going to start taking over. What has always existed will be replaced by this new way of thinking." I love hearing what young people have to say and the energy they have to go out into the world. However, those of us who have already been there and what experience has taught us, know that this is not enough.

At that age, we want to impose our ideas and teach people with more seniority all that fresh knowledge we have just learned. This can't necessarily be done from one moment to the next, as you first have to learn in practice what is expected of you, and then apply your ideas with that knowledge and credibility.

Appearance: A Message That Goes Beyond Words

When I come across young people in the companies I give talks at, and I hear them saying that the way you dress doesn't matter in business or that tattoos are the new trend and it doesn't matter to show them, I realize there is a big job to be done to share the tools that will lead them to professional success.

Some of these people are starting to recognize that dressing too casually creates a stereotype. They accept that they start to be labeled as very careless and not yet capable of having professional growth. Once they understand that, along with their ideas, they can communicate their brand of leadership, they realize they can achieve success faster.

Pretending that it doesn't matter how you dress, how you behave, or how you communicate with others, is simply blinding yourself to the growth opportunities in front of you. The most important key to achieving success is to not be so impulsive, to be prudent, to know how to observe, to learn everything you can, and to recognize that you will continue to learn things along the way.

5 Key Points to Project Leadership and Professionalism

For the new generation at work, I recommend being careful with the signals you send:

• Your attire: Very casual clothes affect credibility. It tells others that in your way of dressing, what matters is your comfort, and that everything else is irrelevant.

• Tattoos: They can send mixed signals. Remember that it's not the message you thought you were sending when you got it, but what it evokes in others.

• Your communication: Communicating aggressively or constantly responding defensively just to impose yourself on colleagues, bosses, or, even worse, clients, harms your image as a professional and your ability to build relationships.

• Your diligence: Being late, not making sure your nails are well-kept, having an overgrown beard, or showing up for work looking messy, directly affects the diligence and responsibility you project.

• Your attitude towards experience: Deciding that your ways and ideas are what you are going to impose is not as easy as you think. The experience and wisdom of those who have been there complement your knowledge, but don't get confused by thinking that you are going to change everything. This can affect how quickly you integrate and grow in your working life.

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