Are You Ready to Relate to Gen Z?
One of the distinctive markers observed between the Millennial and Gen Z generations is the movement away from a focus on teamwork and community and toward a more individualistic outlook. Gen Z (perhaps as a result of being raised by independently-minded Gen X parents) tend to want to be independent, even to stand out from the team as much as possible. Most of us in America would probably agree this has been the whispered wisdom of our culture for a while, the reliance on self, coupled with a lack of focus on relationships.
As sociologist Jean Twenge notes in her book, iGen, in general, relationships conflict with the popular individualistic notion that “you don’t need someone else to make you happy, you should make yourself happy.” In just the 18 years between 1990 and 2008, the use of the phrase “make yourself happy” more than tripled in American books in the Google books database. The phrase, “don’t need anyone,” barely existed in American books before the 1970s, and then quadrupled between 1970 and 2008. The relationship unfriendly phrase, “never compromise,” doubled between 1990 and 2008. And what other phrase increased significantly? “I love me.” Well, that doesn’t beat around the bush, does it?
However, this reality of our continually emerging “Yay, Me!” culture is at distinct odds with what we need in every aspect of our lives, including in the work place. Human beings are wired to be connected to one another in some way, and we actually function much better when we are. New statistics released by LinkedIn in their 2018 Workplace Learning Report, lays out the evidence plainly. The #1 priority for talent development is training for soft skills. As technology continues to impact our world at such a rapid rate, adaptable, critical thinkers who are good communicators and able to connect well with others are vital in the office environment. At the heart of anyone’s ability to develop “soft skills,” is the ability to sustain good, stable relationships and to see their inherent value, especially in the place we spend--at minimum--eight hours of our waking hours each day.
We need to prepare ourselves that the arrival of the individualistic outlook of Gen Z is going to have a significant impact in a number of ways, including positive ones-like a pioneering spirit and willingness to fail. But, it may also mean that soft skills are much less developed in young employees than in previous generations. Organizations that place an emphasis on developing relationships will be far ahead in establishing a culture where everyone can thrive.
What can you do to help good relationships grow in your workplace?
Encourage Conversation: Ben Waber, a lead researcher in the MIT Media Lab designed technology to study collaboration in the workplace. To sum up a large number of studies, face-to-face conversation leads to higher productivity and is also associated with reduced stress. The “conversation effect” doesn’t work the same way for online encounters. What matters is being together in person. Do what you can to encourage conversation in the workplace, maybe by putting a limit on working remotely and whatever else you can do to get people up from their computers and interacting face-to face every once in a while.
Establish Mentor Relationships: A basic human truth we would probably all agree on is that people do business with people they like and trust. And that starts with building relationships. Having a program in place that encourages regular relationship building between team members will establish trust and, as an added benefit, grow the soft skills of younger employees in the process, especially if mentors focus specifically on them.
Individual Affirmation: While Gen Z may be more independent in the workplace than previous generations, Twenge emphasizes they also require more individual encouragement. Affirmation often has a trickle-down effect, and when young employees feel encouraged and reassured they are doing a good job, they will often start affirming and encouraging one another as well. There is a high likelihood that good, quality relationships will be one result.
Facilitate a Safe Space: Several different studies have pointed to one specific concern being on the forefront of the mind of most Gen Zers: safety. Creating a safe space where young employees feel they are okay to ask questions, offer ideas, or even challenge assumptions will help establish the trust foundational to all good relationships.
Janie Stuart is a coach with 18 years experience managing young employees and volunteers in the non-profit sector.
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