Feedback is a big one. Some young adults hear constructive criticism and take it as failure, or assume their manager is mad at them. We try to reframe it: if someone is taking the time to correct you, it often means they want you to succeed. They’re investing in you.

At Merge, we focus on teaching these “hidden rules” because many of our participants didn’t have someone who could explain workplace expectations. The good news is: these norms can be learned. And a simple question can uncover a lot: “How do you prefer I communicate updates?” “What does success look like in this role?”

When expectations are clear, your confidence goes up, and you’ll do better work.