Jan. 8, 2023

“Where have all the go-getters gone?”

That’s the first line of a recent Wall Street Journal piece with the headline “Your coworkers are less ambitious; bosses adjust to the new order.”

In yet one more ripple effect of our post-pandemic world, workers increasingly are saying no to putting in extra hours, applying for promotions or seeking out additional responsibility at work.

The article quotes a survey by Prudential taken last fall that’s especially striking when you look at how it breaks down by generations.

For instance, 37 percent of all workers said their focus was “primarily on getting the job done,” but 48 percent of Generation Z said that versus 28 percent of baby boomers.

Forty-three percent of Gen Z believed they went “above and beyond on the job” versus nearly seven in 10 boomers.

And 52 percent of Gen Z and millennial respondents said they “are growing disenchanted with the 9-to-5 lifestyle.”

The article also cited an August survey of HR employees by the Society for Human Resource Management that found 45 percent said their organization “has struggled more than usual to motivate employees to work beyond the required scope of their job.”

It was against this backdrop, around the same time, that I began planning a new event for SiouxFalls.Business.

On March 1, thanks to support from our partner MarketBeat, sponsor of our CEO Series and monthly market update, we’ll launch our first CEO Summit. This morning event will feature a town hall-style conversation with Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, along with insight on the year ahead and multiple conversations featuring established and emerging members of our CEO community.

But, as I put together the program, I wanted to find a powerful way to end the event. I have found that just as up-and-coming young professionals enjoy hearing from those in leadership, our CEO community loves getting to meet the next generation of leaders. So I decided to put together a panel of three up-and-coming members of the business community who are under 30.

And that’s where — I am somewhat embarrassed to write this — I got stuck.

I can make a long list of people in their 30s who easily could join me on that stage.

But 20-somethings, I’m afraid very few of you are on my radar.

And I don’t think, despite all this data around motivation and ambition, that it’s you.

I think it’s probably me.

At least, I hope it is.

But that’s what I decided to find out.

So instead of trying to find three under 30, I want to find 30 under 30.

I want to meet those already making a mark on their organizations in the earliest years of their careers, showing initiative and bringing innovation. But I don’t just want to know who might be next in line for a promotion. I want to meet those who also show a broader interest and engagement in our city and metro area, in becoming involved outside of the workplace and in shaping our community organizations and nonprofits.

I know we’re all busy as we begin the year, so I’m keeping this simple. Click here to nominate someone for our 30 Under 30, and please do so by 5 p.m. Jan. 31.

Our winners will be notified shortly after that. I’ll choose a few to represent the group on our panel, but all 30 will be invited to our CEO Summit, where they’ll sit alongside our CEOs and hopefully be inspired to continue growing as leaders in our community.

And, all our readers will be invited to hear from Kashkari on March 1 as we’ll livestream what promises to be a timely discussion and unique perspective on today’s economic conditions.

Of course, we’ll also introduce you to the 30 Under 30 in content throughout the year, and we’ll keep the group together for some fun opportunities and surprises along the way.

I understand that career ambition could look different for this generation. We’re all shaped by unique events in our shared history and our personal experiences, but I have no doubt we have many more than 30 under 30 who are positioning themselves in their own way to help lead us into the future. I can’t wait to meet you and share your stories.