In 21 Letters on Life and Its Challenges (2003,) social philosopher Charles Handy compares organizations to “graduate schools” for work. He believed young workers should first master basic skills, then move on to roles that encourage growth and initiative. A champion of balancing growth and quality, Handy advocated for environments that foster development, a principle central to his career.

Young people today often start off their working lives in an organization, be it in business, government, or the charity sector. That is sensible, for a time. I see such organizations as the graduate schools for work. They introduce young people to the necessary disciplines of work, the routines and systems, the need to sell as well as produce, the numbers that matter, and the people who can be relied upon. If the organization does not provide the intimacy of a small group and space to use your initiative to make a difference, you should move on, having finished your graduate apprenticeship. Humans are not meant to be machines.

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