HOW TO spot the boss

"And is this your first livery event?", asked the grey-haired gentleman to my left, as I introduced myself at a grand gathering of the City's bigwigs at a distinguished location in Central London.

I have been moving in these circles for about 20 years, and holding senior roles since 2012, so why am I always presumed to the junior?

Being a smiley blond female with a slight accent has something to do with it, I am sure. Seniority is earned with age, as the unspoken rule of the City of London goes.

Yet this is becoming less and less relevant. Just ask the newest generation in the workplace - Gen Z. They're age-diverse by nurture, and their motto is: "If I'm performing, I deserve to be promoted. Regardless of whether I have earned it with the advent of getting greyer in the hair and longer in the tooth."

I made the motto up. But this is the spirit, anyhow.

In the UK, the world of business and professional services is built on the age hierarchy - the assumption is that it takes a while to climb through the ranks, and you can't possibly hold sway until reaching the respectable age of 35+.

The status quo has been accepted by a generation after generation for centuries - until now! The new Generation Z - including those who are now in their early to late 20s - are rebelling. And they're right to do so.

Due to the social media that has become the background to their growing up, they have established that there are many ways to become successful, to run a business and, ultimately, to be the boss. You don't need to spend years to be in charge of the photocopier or the office's kettle in order to be promoted.

The modern journey up the career ladder is indeed way more fluid and way less linear. The entrepreneurial Gen Z are not shy of hard work, it's just that their work trajectory is so unusual that the older generations find it difficult to relate to.

"How can this 23-year old be a "serial entrepreneur"!", exclaims a 40-something year old friend. "How many businesses could they have possibly run in their - what?- 5-year career?".

But it's not unfeasible that a Gen Zedder started running a business from their bedroom using a social media account during the teenage years, earning a sizeable sum by the time they reach the age of majority. This is entrepreneurial, and this certainly is unusual for anyone who has experienced a more conservative and linear career path.

But this "usual" will not remain so for much longer. It is estimated that by 2025 Generation Z will make up almost 30% of the workforce.

The upshop? At the current rate of the intergenerational engagement, the leadership will not be well equipped to handle the influx of the generation of young bosses.

Likewise, the "young bosses" will not be able to handle the expectations of the still-traditional workplace, - and it will take much longer for things to shift naturally if they are left unmanaged.

In turn, we will see the exodus of talent, companies bleeding money being invested in the workforce that quickly leaves, while the young generation will be getting increasingly frustrated as they're lacking the skills to connect with those who think differently.

But what am I to do?!, I hear you ask.

In my mind, intergenerational engagement and acquiring the skills necessary for building connections is a must. Reading this blog is a good start too (no joke!).

And watch this space for some very exciting developments that promote the much-need connections with Generation Z.

www.AlisaGrafton.com