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 ?

What about the hours prior to the approved finish time, when he should be WORKING?

He quite possibly was working on something else, not at OPs beck and call.

I'd suggest that if the CEO needs something then it's their beck and call that seals the deal. Especially when it is the system he is paid to access that the data was needed from.

Although in this instance it is patently obvious he had clocked off early and there needs to be some investigations into how he is spending his time. As if he wasn't there to DO his ACTUAL job what's the point in someone even being in that post? I'd be commissioning an IT review of what he does with his time first thing tomorrow morning.

That's not always the case, otherwise those higher up the chain could just keep commandeering staff.

…yes? That’s how it’s worked in every organisation I’ve ever worked for!

Uhuh, but other organisations exist.

So give me an example of an organisation where a junior admin person can say no to an urgent request from a senior manager within working hours without there being repercussions on the junior. Unless you don’t believe managers should be able to tell their staff what to work on?

What types of organisations have these systems where people pick what they do at work? Have you achieved employment in such a place? I also wish to work in one.

MDTs are scheduled at the same time every day, and any cases outside that are managed by the urgent care team or in a different setting. There’s a reason for this process — it works well here and consistently delivers good results for our team.

Unfortunately, the office administrator didn’t provide the data we needed, which meant I had to source it myself. I’ll be meeting with his manager tomorrow to discuss it.

In the private sector you certainly wouldn't be pushing back like that, at a simply request from a senior member of staff, much less your Head of Department.
Sure the NHS or civil and public services you might get away with it.
But not in any pharma, banking, oil company that I have worked for.
Basic cop on would preclude young most professionals from behaving like this.

I agree that an IT investigation is warranted to check what he was doing.
His ascertain that he would have to check with an on leave boss is a joke, and frankly unbelievable.
He wasn't available to do what he was asked and OP is perfectly reasonable to investigate why.

A 15 minute task, 90 minutes before he finished his day, was not an unreasonable ask. He needs to explain what was he doing that was so time sensitive that he would refuse to assist the Head of Department.

The young man wasn't picking, he presumably had other tasks set by his immediate boss.

Not wishing to argue with you - I work in the public sector and I wouldn’t push back on this request either (and I often get asked for data from senior managers or urgent changes to our systems). It’s drummed in from day 1 where I work we are here to help the general public. So similarly to the patient being at the centre of this request, if I was asked to get something to eventually aid helping one of our users get the info they needed, I would definitely be expected to drop everything for it. I wouldn’t push back anyway, if it was clear it was urgent and I had time. If there was an issue about getting other work done, if I told my manager that their manager had asked for something urgent, that would the end of the discussion. Maybe it’s just down to the workplace.

@Greenholly, I don't doubt that there are many professionals that would do it in government departments.

I just really think your card would be instantly marked and you would be taken to task if you tried to pull this shit in many private sector settings.

It just wouldn't be tolerate for a minute.

I actually think the public service is much better at the 'everyone does what is needed to support the customer'. I've run reports for anothee manager in similar circumstances because I was the only one around at the time even thought it is normally an admin task

When I worked and climbed the professional ladder, in financial PR (1980s), I probably wouldn't have accepted that request at the last minute.

I find this junior staff member's behaviour astonishing. I am an ex-civil servant and never encountered anyone like this.

Imagine being a “senior manager” and having to ask random people on a parenting website how to handle perfectly reasonable behaviour from a junior.

Most companies I've worked at have a strict process to follow for data/IT/admin staff precisely because everyone senior thinks it's OK to dump "it'll just take 15 minutes" tasks on them at the last minute throughout the working day, and if responded promptly to every request they'd never get anything else done. I don't work in those departments but have received all the weary all-staff reminders about how IT and data requests have to go through their line manager or a specific form.

I think you need to discuss why the line manager approved an early finish on a day he was absent of the availability of this employee to provide data to an MDT is urgent.
Ideally you should have someone on the MDT who can access this data in the meeting.

You are coming across as quite childish your approach. Your main issue appears to be that he didn't show you the reverence you deserve as a senior manager rather than that his actions were wrong. I think you need to reflect on this before you speak to him.

When you work in a service which operates at break neck speed it can be hard to step back and look at the wider process instead of being reactionary, in fact it's quite a wrench. But very, very important

Asking HR for some readily available information is a lot different to asking a much more junior colleague to help you out as you have gone to this meeting unprepared and by asking him to do it, he will be late for his leave. Totally different situation. I don’t see what is comparable at all ?
He also has every right to check his job description with his manager when they are back from leave.

OMG. Did you actually read the thread? It was a medical issue which came up during a meeting. He was not 'helping out' he was literally being asked to do his job. It was a 15 minute task requested 2 hours before he was due to finish for the day. He sure should be checking his job description. If he cannot fit in an emergency task when he works in a hospital he lacks capability. If he had, as I suspect, buggered off early so could not physically do his job, he committed fraud and it would be a disciplinary issue.

Well that’s a disappointing response. The word “presumably” makes it clear that you are speculating.

Yup, we're all speculating, at least I acknowledge it.

I wouldn’t have done it but I admire the younger generation if they have better boundaries. That gen z could have been my son ,he had a Friday afternoon booked off recently as he was moving into a house share on that day. He had a late evening work social the night before and almost had a complete meltdown on the evening moving his stuff as he was so tired! He works hard in his grad role and puts unbelievable amounts of time into studying for professional exams. Sometimes people try to have a life outside work .

Oh my goodness.

Oh my golly gosh. 🤣