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 ?

'Many years ago'

I have no respect for authority who doesn't respect me. Employees are whole people with commitments and lives outside the workplace. Not your serfs. If you give him a hard time and make a habit of this, expect a workplace bullying complaint. You might be a manager but that doesn't mean you rule my life or are any more worthy of respect than I would be at a lower level. People are worthy of respect full stop.

The whole post was about my own learning and self-development — about becoming a better leader. Sounds like you’ve just got a bit of a bee in your bonnet and some issues to work through

This blows my mind. Did no one read the programme/agenda?

I don’t think asking someone to do what their oaid to do is ruling their life !

You have about 500 posts on this thread - you seem to have taken quite strongly against OP even though she's been quite measured in her responses - and it's getting a bit silly now

Maybe he was giving the respect he felt you deserved? I can be the most helpful ally in the world unless you show me you don't deserve it. Then I'll work to the rule for you.

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, they have boundaries

It's ruling and not valuing their life if they have to check out at a certain time, have an agreement with their manager to do that, and you expect them to stay anyway. I'd had just assumed he might have had an immovable commitment and asked someone else, or done it myself.

Perhaps you have a problem with criticism.

I literally don’t have access to the system as he’s an administrator

Sorry what? You're his boss yet you don't have access to the system??? I find that very hard to believe.

I've not noticed this about Gen Z at all. But I hope it is true, and perhaps the massive imbalance in pay and conditions between CEOs and workers will be narrowed due to their actions.

If our generation hadn't laid down and let the 1% walk all over them, things would be very different now. Obviously excluding RMT members, cos they've done their level best.

"I’m genuinely wondering: is this just how the workplace is now — a generational shift and new boundaries"

Yes.

From what I can make out younger staff now can be very poor at following direct, clear instructions. They can be relatively lazy (no extra tasks or hours even though they are early in their career and need as much learning and development that they can get.)

It seems clear that in OPs business a bit of flexibility and a proportionate prompt response to requests from management is essential, and this lazy jobsworth has proven he is not flexible or prompt.

On the one hand great - he has boundaries and doesn't want to have the piss taken out of him.

On the other hand he clearly can't be relied on, so he's the sort of staff member you need to treat as an average tool for as long s it suits the company to do so. What you don't need to do is pay for training or think of him as someone to promote or fight to keep.

The issue, I think is the attitude of some Gen Z - the team member the OP describes, rightly or wrongly decided to push back on a senior manager request and asset his rights rather than just do the task.

A couple of Gen Z staff where I work can be obnoxious.

One of the senior managers was retiring after something like 40 years, and the Gen Z staff member took over his desk, moved his stuff around, and when I pointed out that he hadn't left yet, he said, 'he's yesterday's news...'

But also think that previous generations have had team members who were just difficult, and as a manager you just deal with them accordingly

So, you call in the team member and point out that as he wasn't using the encryption software properly, meant you couldn't gain access, and then his reluctant attitude was not what you would expect.

we have around 30 systems doing different things in different departments. Not all senior managers have access to all, even those in their hierarchy. Or they may have a log in but no idea how to extract information from it.

This is well worth a read, it’s nhs focused but I think can be generalised to non nhs staff. All about the different expectations of different generations and the need to manage people differently

https://recipeforworkforceplanning.hee.nhs.uk/Portals/0/HEWM_LinksAndResources/Mind-the-Gap-Report.pdf

I mean you're getting a tough time here OP but honestly - everyone senior ive talked to in the last couple of yrs has struggled with Gen Z. I certainly have found Gen Z v tricky - lots of "i dont know what that word means" or "i havent gone into the files before" . I have tried to explain that im always here to support but maybe some curiosity of using the INTERNET to look stuff up first....also I often give a task (not urgent) and get told theyre feeling overwhelmed as they already have things on their plate. As if they cant manage more than one thing at a time or prioritise at all.

Having said all that Im old millennial/Gen x and I have no life/work balance. Ive got to the top in my sector and I think about work till 1am every night struggling to sleep so maybe spending 20 years doing everything for everyone to get promoted isnt the answer to happiness!

Hahaha

That's really not how you framed it at all, it read more as 'who else wants to blame GenZ for their own shortcomings?'. You've also consistently drip fed, and told us how great you are, when that's quite possibly not accurate.

Some of these responses are just batshit, I assume from resentful non-managers. Your manager's manager asks you to do something absolutely trivial you do it! I'm a manager with two levels below me, if my director asked for something so small I wouldn't think to refuse.

That's really not how to make friends and influence people!

Do you always exaggerate?
OP may have seemed measured to you, but her outdated views are becoming more and more apparent.

As a millennial I will also do & prioritise what my CEO asks me to do. If I had to leave to pick up my dc etc then I wouldn't stay late.

I find a lot of Gen Y(s) do the "not in my job spec" which really surprised me but may be the culture in public sector?

I remember coming into the work place (as a millennial) and there were training courses and YouTube videos doing the rounds about managing millennials I think new generations always disrupt the workplace.

My husband is really struggling, he’s in the military and kids just aren’t bred for the military these days!! It’s honestly dire, sick chits all over the place, people refusing to deploy (this isn’t unique to Gen Z though it has to be said). I honestly don’t know how we will maintain armed forces with the misalignment of expectations these days.

It wasn’t an abroad holiday - and the task was 15 mins max , I did most of the leg work. I just needed him to access a system that I couldn’t as was in a meeting.

I think it's wrong to expect someone to stay late even by 15 mins if they have plans.

You might if you had a plane to catch or some other medical appointment you didn't want to miss. Sometimes you can't stay late.