Gen Zs vs Boomers: What I learnt from hosting Work It in 2023

Crispina Robert

It’s that time of year when we wind down, reflect and focus on the things that matter. For me, that means distilling all the great lessons and advice shared with me and my co-host Adrian Tan by our Work It podcast guests - all 30 episodes worth - this past year.

It boils down to two themes: The importance of soft skills and better work relationships across generations.?

SOFT SKILLS MATTER MORE THAN EVER

Research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center found that 85% of job success comes from having the right soft skills. Google found that the most successful teams have three things in common: The ability to collaborate across diverse talents, the ability to communicate clearly and the ability to work as a team.??

If you’re a people manager like me and have to shepherd your team through disruptive changes, oftentimes due to tech advances like Generative AI, top of this skills list is empathy.

Being “other”-centred means being open to criticisms and listening better.??

Easier said than done, right? In stressful situations, we’re likely to revert to our natural impulses to be annoyed or upset.?

The good news is that experts say soft skills like empathy can be nurtured. I believe the reality is somewhere in between - some people have it in spades, and others less so. The practical thing would be to work with what we have and add to your arsenal of skill sets over time.

CLASH OF GENERATIONS

The other theme that regularly surfaced during our podcasts was the generational differences in values at the workplace.

I’ll admit, talking to young people often leaves me wondering if this handover between my cohort and Gen Zs will be rockier than anticipated. It’s clear that their expectations and the way they want to be managed have changed.?

But at some point, they will take over the workplace reins. How will they lead and craft new rules around running successful companies without the sting of burnout in an ever-competitive environment? That will be interesting to watch.?

My view is we all want the same things:

For our work to matter, to be compensated fairly and having time to look after our health and happiness.

So perhaps the trick is really to focus on the commonalities, rather than the differences.

Finally, my team is grateful for all the feedback, kudos and compliments received this year. Your validation is the oil that lights this fire.?

As 2023 comes to a close, my hope for us is to take time off the grid and to set our intentions for the new year on paper. After all, clarity of thought leads to clarity of actions to come.?

Happy New Year!

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Have a topic you want Crispina and Adrian to talk about? Write to us at [email protected]