From the course: Understanding the Gen Z Perspective as a Manager

Common myths about Gen Z

From the course: Understanding the Gen Z Perspective as a Manager

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Common myths about Gen Z

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When you hear the phrase Gen Z, what words or phrases come to mind? Entitled. Unwilling to commit lazy. Tech obsessed. Easily distracted. Super woke. Unprepared for adulthood. While it is easy or tempting to oversimplify Gen Z the truth is far more nuanced and interesting. In this lesson, I want to share with you some of the truths I've discovered about Gen Z, so you’ll know how to connect with them and enhance their engagement and development. Certainly they might just have their favorite bespoke order from Chipotle they memorized. They might even have curated just the right playlist for every special occasion in their life on Spotify, and the barista at their nearby Starbucks has their custom order mastered. You might have been rolling your eyes or resonating with some of these things, but before holding to this limited view and blaming Gen Z, take a second. Think about who designed all of these time saving apps and efficiencies. Generation X in other words, though Gen Z may seem hooked on their phones. They're using products created by their elders. You can find plenty of comedy skits online. Spoofing Gen Z is trivial and mature, and more than anything, self-absorbed. While people may think of Gen Z as self-absorbed, their generation is actually extremely accepting of others. They're also deeply connected to social causes. According to a study by American Student Assistance, over 50% of 18 to 25 year olds say a successful career involves helping others and or their community. Let's consider the myth of entitlement. If they're seen as ambitious in what they ask for in terms of compensation, that's just because they've repeatedly seen the instability of the job market in their lifetime. Thank you great recession and pandemic. And want to be set up to be able to weather all sorts of changes and life events. Security is something every generation is looking for because it's a fundamental desire for human beings. Finally, in terms of being unwilling to commit, instead take a beat and realize their perception that institutions have let them down so they are wary and slow to build trust. This goes for your organization as well. Now you have a few ways to combat your biases about managing Gen Z employees. This week, I encourage you to write down any other myths that you have, and think about how you can overcome those generalizations. By considering their lived experiences, you'll be better suited to support them in their careers.

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