Hi, Leigh - excellent post and very on-target.

We tend to paint that "ideal" picture with the less tangible parts of the job as well.  I think about how often I have been interviewed (and unfortunately a few times when I was on the other side of the interview as well) and heard the interviewer spin marvelous tales of a workplace where initiative and creativity were valued, where achievement outweighed consistency, and so on.

To a young person, this sounds like heaven on earth ... until the reality hits in that they did not really mean "creative" or initiative, but really wanted someone to do what they were told, in an expected and traditional manner, and to not rock the boat.

Everyone wants to be world-class, as long as they can do it without risk:)

Much work to be done to get what we say we want into alignment with what we really want.   It is not just being honest, but as you point out in your articulate post, we have to change what we expect and what we allow.

Good stuff, Leigh:)

John