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Ryan Collins
Dr. Swiencicki
24 November 2017
Research Narrative on Allyship
Moving Your Way Up in the Ranks as a Young Executive Professional
When you think about the transfer of power from one generation to the next,
there is a relationship that always spawns between older employees and millennials.
This relationship is built upon various characteristics involving trust and loyalty, to name
a few. I have always been curious about how these allyships between employers and
employees are formed and maintained. I am especially interested in how the connection
between different generations smoothly melds together to where each demographic
complements the other in the workforce.
During the summer going into high school, I began my first year working as an
intern in the Athletic Communications Department at Syracuse University. My
responsibilities started off small, but grew each summer that I kept coming back. Even
though I have been interning there for five summers, I still have a minor role in the way
things are done. Granted, I was young and still am, however I’m interested in learning
about how our responsibilities increase as we grow older. Drawing from my spirit of
inquiry, I looked into four main points that I felt helped me encapsulate the idea of the
transition of power from experienced professionals to younger staff members. They
include succession planning and leadership development, chemistry in the workforce,
making the most out of your internship, and millennials vs baby boomers in the
workforce. These main points that I researched solidified my understanding of how
interns and young professionals develop to find a niche in their given professions.
Succession planning and leadership development come together naturally. They
share a vital and fundamental goal which is applying the right skills in the right place.
The article “Developing Your Leadership Pipeline” by Jay A. Conger and Robert M.
Fulmer broke down the development of leaders into five rules. Rule one is to focus on
development. The key to succession management is to maintain a flexible work system
and environment through implementation of developmental activities. For perspective
employees to learn to the best of their ability, it is optimal to pair both classroom training
with outside experience such as internships and practicums. For example, when
discussing some options of how to get this experience, Conger and Fulmer said:
techniques like job rotation, special assignments such as establishing a regional
