Working with Gen Zs
Working with Gen Zs - what it’s like as a millennial manager, and how does anyone do it?
Patience, lots of it.
End of post.
Full disclosure, I still won’t claim to know - but after starting this company and building it with Gen Zs, I have some positive thoughts.
First up, I will say that it wasn’t until I moved abroad that I realised how important work was going to be in my life. Up till then life was pretty unserious and so was my approach to myself and my work. After I moved halfway around the world from London to Hong Kong, I felt an immediate pressure to make something of myself, to have something to show for leaving my friends and family behind. That was my “Aha”, or for me “Uh oh, shit just got real.” moment, and I think those turning points are fairly universal. I think we all have watershed moments, where afterward life became a bit more real and serious. The oldest Gen Zs are 27 and as young as 12 so there’s still time until they become the new millennials and make the same observations we make about them, only about Gen Alpha (yes Gen Z, they’re coming for you). All I’m saying is that it’s only a matter of time before they “come around” just like everyone else. And not just that, but they will also leave their mark on the world, making it objectively better than before.
I have to remind myself to enjoy both the good and bad parts. The bad parts, for example, being on the receiving end of this intern’s gem of a message:
“Hey I’m going to be heads down today working. Please only chat if it’s super urgent. I’ll have done what I said I’ll have done by tonight”.
Yes, that is a real message from an intern to their manager, and I love that message so much. I’m thinking of having it framed. The good part being that they challenge me to keep my mind open about everything. They challenge my views in a way that feels equivalent to installing an up-to-date software patch. And that helps me stay relevant, and keeps me young… Ok maybe not young, but at least in touch.
I think an openmindedness to listen and learn has helped. Being open to listening to the same music (it’s mostly Taylor Swift), listening to their challenges with curiosity, and the willingness to be transparent with my own struggles has helped make the gap feel smaller. I grew up as an older sibling, and I was taught that I had to set a strong example - so my idea of a good leader was someone who projected perfection. That’s kind of the opposite of how I do it now. I think Gen Zs respond when there’s less packaging on their “action-figure” leaders. They get turned off if it’s too well wrapped, and they can’t see where you’ve messed up the perfect swipe cut with your scissors. They connect with transparency and vulnerability, which is a testament to how much earlier they’ve started to prioritise their mental health as well. Again, another sign the world is getting objectively better and will continue to do so when they’re in charge (including email sign offs).
oki byeeeeeee,
North West 7
