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 ?

😀
Yes, it is time to get snarky with those who haven't read the whole thread and got a fair understanding of the situation.

It's difficult from the outside to fully understand the culture of an organisation, but there was nothing wrong with your request, or the way you handled it.

During this thread he went from a good performer, to a bit crap to completely not suited for the job and his manager covering up for him.

You’re either just winding yourself up in order to find fault with him and you as the aggrieved party(since your “he’s sexist” attempt didn’t catch) or you’re indeed right, in which case you’re not the great manager you think you are if stuff like that goes under your nose and you only “noticed” because he refused you this request?

Surely the only data you need to treat patients is the data on their case, and surely you and all the other specialists involved have access to that information?

Op you have been given a hard time but I think the issue is how you handled the situation . If this was me and yes I agree the juniors I have in my team can be hard to deal with , mostly because despite a university degree they have no life experience, I would have actually told them I need you to do this for me straight away . If he refused then you can and should call him after and let him know your expectations where not meet in an appropriate time .

But it's a bit optimistic to give your thread a title about an entire generation then expect people to stick to your highly specific scenario, isn't it?

LOL! Someone being asked to do their job, which would take 1 minutes, with an hour and a half before they were to clock out for their long weekend is exploitive? GMAFB!

Yes 😁

Listen to yourself OP, still blaming the junior and taking no accountability.

Why?

How on Earth has someone having boundaries suddenly become them being an under-performer?! wtf.

Boundaries ! Heard it all now

it’s true why have administrators at all - we can do it all

You should learn to push back yourself, OP. Why is it urgent last knockings on a Friday? Sounds like you could learn something from Gen Z.

Senior manager here, and this is twaddle. I was promoted quickly due to my abilities, not because I worked ridiculous hours. I was promoted quickly and then a second time outwith promotion windows because of my work. I work within my contracted hours 99% of the time.

A junior staff member has been put forward for promotion in a similar situation, apart from he’s even stricter on his hours and only doing our contracted hours. If only all companies understood that people working longer than they’re paid isn’t a good thing, and the better workers are those who can actually do what they are hired for in a reasonable timeframe…

I haven’t worked my contracted hours since 2001

He has booked time off. Yes that is having boundaries. Your style of management went out in the last 5-10 years. If you don’t change with the times, then expect to be retired in the next few years, or moved to a position with no authority over others. Seriously, professional development also includes how you manage others and moving with the times.

can't really demand patients not coming in on a Friday

It wasn’t on his time off - it was 15 min task at least an hour before he was due to clock off

Well then more fool you. Going so above and beyond with no reward, and wearing it as a badge of honour. Like I said, similar senior role and I’ve managed perfectly fine to work within my contracted hours. Perhaps you need to work on your own efficiency and working effectively? Rather than others being the issue for wanting to work the hours they are paid to do.

It seems a lot of fuss over a very small task…it wasn’t time consuming and he could’ve done it.

I suspect this is one occasion of the OP asking for a small thing, in a massively bigger issue with her demanding from staff when she wants/needs something.

The request was both within his job description and within his working hours from his head of department who is the person accountable for departmental performance (including jobsworth’s line manager).

I’m not Gen Z. I’m almost 50. But if I had a prearranged agreement with my manager to finish at a specific time and was having random tasks chucked at me by people who weren’t my manager, I too would have responded like that.

It’s not the problem of staff two levels below you to do your work for you because you can’t say no to the CEO or leave a meeting early to sort something for them. I strongly suspect that either you have form for making last minute work requests to people you don’t manage and whose workload you don’t understand, or this has been a problem in the organisation generally and put junior staff under pressure. Bear in mind that you are paid a lot more than them for your responsibilities.

It’s pretty obvious from what the team member said that there’s been a precedent, whether from you or other people.

The fact that it’s not the first time you’ve had such pushback suggests you’re maybe not getting to grips with the culture of the organisation, which can be a problem for consultants in my experience.

I wouldn't have even replied to the CEO as I was in a meeting. He/she would have then asked someone else.

That’s your choice and your problem. It’s not a badge of honour.