Managing Gen Z

[Amy8]

I’m an experienced senior manager who took some time out to work as a consultant – partly to avoid exactly these kinds of situations!

Something happened last week that’s made me question my management style, which I’ve always thought was fair. The CEO asked me (quite urgently) to get something done. I was in a meeting, so I asked a junior team member to help out. It would’ve been easier to just do it myself, but I genuinely needed the support.

He replied that he needed to check with his line manager first because it wasn’t in his work plan (I manage his manager), and then added that he was logging off shortly for a long weekend which had been pre-agreed.

I stayed polite on Teams and explained that sometimes we have to be reactive to senior requests — but honestly, inside I was thinking, just do it! At his age, I’d have just cracked on.

It’s not the first time I’ve had this kind of pushback — others in the team (same age group) have also been quite firm about working from home and not wanting to come in when asked.

I’m genuinely wondering: is this just how the workplace is now — a generational shift and new boundaries — or is it a bit of a disregard for authority and should I be adapting better ?

You have posted this before 7am on a Saturday morning. Enjoy your weekend and forget about this. There is more to life than work.

I’d assume the majority of posters on mumsnet are therefore millennials/gen X.

I think the majority are boomers

They don't have to, as long as they realize they will stay on the very bottom of the ladder.
But then, in those cases, it's where they belong anyway.

You are being obtuse.

It is perfectly possible to treat staff as individuals, whilst also understanding that as part of a particular generation they are more likely or less likely to show certain characteristics.

In fact knowing that Gen Z individuals are more likely to be lazy and entitled means that you are better able to assess gen z individuals as one of the bad 80% or decent 20%

I once left a job aged 22 because I told my boss that I needed to leave on time that night (to attend a religious service). Mostly I left a little late.

5 mins before I was due to leave he asked me to do something that would take 15 to 30 mins.

I didn't argue, I did the task. Missed the service. On the way home I saw a newspaper advert (it was along time ago) for a job connected with the religion. Applied and got it.

I didn't tell him why I was leaving.

So in the past perhaps people were less forthright? That's what's changed.

Anyone on this thread who claims generations are not different want to share their stories of workers born in the 40s or 50s who have ever spoke like that?

Why only these years?

Very possible. Either way I’d assume the user base to be predominantly millenial and up.

In this scenario you were right and he was wrong. It was a 15 minute task that would not have impacted on either his own work or his leave.

Do you know what this person's overall workload looks like? What other tasks he may have needed to complete that afternoon? OP doesn't, so not sure why people on this thread seem to think they do.

Not completely true, people change bosses and can opt to work for ones with a better mindset and company structure.

In fact knowing that Gen Z individuals are more likely to be lazy and entitled means that you are better able to assess gen z individuals as one of the bad 80% or decent 20%

🤔

This wasn't one of those times
It absolutely was! An urgent request for a very short activity. The exact time you expected to be flexible.

Gen Y here.

@Aethelredtheunsteady agree

Op - I agree with you (I'm gen x) - and I am a BIG supporter of workers rights and of young people positively setting boundaries around work. I work in a 'passion' type job so its incredibly competitive - and there is absolutely no time or space for people that do the minimum only. However - I have again and again stood up for young people and for myself when needed on shit work conditions.

I have stood up for myself and others in a way that has put my own work on the line and lost me work !

So - speaking from that position - I do still agree with you.

He sounds petty - the main attitude in a job, if you want to succeed in it - should be enthuiasm. you were not putting him out, asking him to step outside his role or even to spend too much time in work - you were just asking him to be flexible and respond in the moment.

Believe me, people like him will not go far - if you can't do your absolute best in most of the time you are in work in your 20s - you will not have gone far enough to be doing really well when you are older and have a lot more out of work responsibilities.

I tell young people give it 110 per cent while you can! you won't always be able to.

What I would say though Op is you should feed this back to him completely honestly.

Honest feedback to people who have the right skills should be part of what they need to really learn.

I think there's a mix tbh.

Thoughts…

Is this person ND? It may be difficult for him to work outside of agreed practice.

Even if there isn’t a Friday deadline, perhaps he had a point he wanted to reach in the limited time he had left in the day.

Perhaps he doesn’t understand how hierarchy works. As a parent - although one who does have boundaries and ultimately tells my DC what to do - like many of us I largely treat them on the same level; they are not seen and not heard, they are participants in family life. Perhaps the way society now treats children has reduced their respect for seniors. Perhaps he doesn’t understand how he should acknowledge your position and listen to your requests. And he should - particularly given how speed is of the essence in healthcare.

As an aside: is hierarchal structure a thing of the past? (If people can’t even trust our elected MPs…)

Perhaps older generations and workplaces are not educating young people with enough common sense and awareness about what they should be doing. An example is my teenager, who worked in a pub/restaurant. There was literally no induction and he was told to get on with it. (Unlike my training when I was his age under a scary maitre d who schooled me in the art of fine dining.) Luckily, having been to many cafes and restaurants and having good common sense, my son stepped up the mark. He became very popular with staff and patrons alike. He now has a completely different career and is already being tipped for management. I’m so proud of his work ethic. He still speaks to people at the restaurant and management still don’t provide any education to the young staff, many of whom would stare at a dirty table because nobody had told them to clean it. Maybe you need to spell out your expectations to your staff.

Is there a declining work ethic in society? Do people aspire to be mediocre? Or do Gen Z have the right idea about work not defining them and putting boundaries in place. Are crap wages and lack of hope (ie for housing which is ridiculously expensive) to blame? Is hard work rewarding? For me, knowing I’ve done a good job is reward in itself but I have a comfortable life outside of work that provides other rewards (a house, a car, time and money to socialise, holidays etc). Covid times illustrated that life is for living while you can.

My own take is that generally people are becoming more selfish and less inclined to help out. This applies to older staff members in my workplace. They are actually more likely to work to rule (and be bloody rude and miserable!). I will gladly help out others because it’s the right thing to do and I actually enjoy what I do. (Although if they don’t also scratch my back I will remember next time they ask me for something!)

Being a manager is not easy. Don’t let the buggers grind you down ❤️

It absolutely wasn't.

@GehenSieweiter there are so many references to things from a long time ago.

Expansion of point required. 😬

I think work-life balance is very important, and always have done. Unless it was a genuine crisis (which it rarely is ime), I'd have stayed if it had suited me to do so and if it didn't, I'd've made up some pressing engagement that meant I had to leave promptly and been very apologetic about it. Too many employers take the piss and encourage a culture of presenteeism.

I'm 70 and have always been the same about work demands, so I doubt if it's a generational thing.

@GehenSieweiter any posts about celebs you fancy, what life was like when you were growing up, tv shows, things that changed how you see the world, how you raise your dc etc

I didn't used to think this & obviously different boards will have a different user base eg breastfeeding/weaning will skew younger but AIBU & chat seem very skewed to an older demographic.

So many people on this thread are going to be the first to go when the AI redundancies hit.

They can assert all the boundaries in the world when they’re sitting at home with absolutely no prospects.

The most efficient way of OP doing her job was to delegate the admin task to an admin person so she could get on with her important meeting.

So many people on this thread are going to be the first to go when the AI redundancies hit.

They can assert all the boundaries in the world when they’re sitting at home with absolutely no prospects.

We already have an ageing population, today's workers pay for today's pensioners, so it won't just impact the young.