No Participation Trophies Allowed

By Wesley Middleton

​Our firm has been around for 4 years now. What an experience it has been. I am proud of our team; accolades and awards year after year, that quite frankly, are well deserved. We have worked hard to create an incredible culture. From the outside looking in, you may see a culture that is catering to the Millennial generation or one that is giving them EXACTLY what they want to make them happy. Other firms watch us and see the pool table, the ping pong table, the shuffle board or the Starbucks coffee and think, THAT is the answer. 

As our President-elect would say….WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Can’t you hear him saying that?
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Yes, I do believe that initially a large part of this generation believes that they want all of these things and maybe even entitled to these perks. They are smart, idealistic and want to make a difference in this world. How noble! What we provide them is not everything they want. Yes, we entice them with these great things but then we instill three things into them that changes their lives and takes them to the next level. We have found that when exposed to these three things, understand them and then execute them, they are much more engaged in the culture that has been created.

1. Accountability not entitlement. Yes, that is correct. Accountability. They want it but they don’t always know that they want it. They resist it, but when they are accountable, they find a satisfaction that they don’t find anywhere else in their life. Some would say this is from the lack of substantial parenting, and that may be true, so at MRZ we decided to take on that role an hold each other accountable in every way. It is like a wild horse being trained, kicking, screaming and bucking may ensue, but soon enough, things settle down and those that stick it out find true satisfaction from being accountable. 
2. Patience. This is a tough one. We do live in a microwave world where people expect instant results and instant gratification. We have done our kids no favors by raising them in the nicest homes, driving the nicest cars and making sure that that they had the best of everything. One of the hardest conversations is explaining to an incredibly intelligent 25 year old why he or she can’t be paid $125,000 and be partner, yet! It is a lesson we take serious. Not to create limitations or hold you back, but to create an appreciation for the effort you will make to achieve success.
3. Meritocracy. This can be a whole new concept for many. There are no trophies for coming in last, in fact it is quite possible that you won’t be here if you come in last. Your mom can’t talk us into your promotion and quite frankly if you don’t perform, you will find that you just aren’t that special. Let’s be clear, this isn’t everyone but generally speaking, a reward for being "above average" and "great" is a new concept. We pay you a salary and that is for what our minimum expectations are. It is for average. For many, no matter how well we explain it, the first year bonus is eye opening. While we do have a few that get bonuses of 10-25% based on their effort and results, we have many that expected a bonus for doing what we have already paid them for. Welcome to life, there are no participation bonuses. Extra result gets you extra compensation. A lesson that once learned, has a significant impact on the lives of the new hires. 

If you are a Millennial and reading this, please do not be offended. Embrace it. I love working with you. You are the most intelligent, engaging, caring, driven, energetic and challenging group of people I have ever worked with. But…..take a deep breath. Eight months doesn’t make a career, having everything you want just isn’t that gratifying and a participation trophy doesn’t help your self-esteem or make you feel good about you. 

The best part is that once exposed, this generation appreciates it and excels in this culture. True, some want the easy road and the participation bonus and so they don’t stay. Those that do are the truly special people, with high self-esteem and satisfied that they are a part of something bigger than they are. This generation, more than any other, gets the WHY. I love that. 
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Be patient, be accountable and deserve what you get. It will be many hard conversations and it won’t be the easiest path to follow, but in the end, it will be the most satisfying.
 If it was easy, anyone could do it……….and there would be a trophy for last place. You don’t want that! Be better. Lead. No participation bonus here. Congratulations. You earned it. 

Wesley Middleton is the managing partner at MRZ LLP, a Houston, Texas-based accounting firm voted Best Place to Work by the Houston Business Journal. Wesley is the author of Violent Leadership (Forbes Books, 2017) and is represented by PumpJack Speakers Bureau. To book Wesley for your event, email Wesley.Middleton@PumpJack.me or click here.