MTV Roadies - Working with Gen Z
Harjeet Khanduja
Senior Vice President Human Resources at Reliance Jio | Author | Speaker | Influencer | Inventor | Professor of Practice | Views are personal
Performance brings respect, but it’s not enough for survival. This philosophy of Roadies is a harsh reality of corporate life. I am a big fan of Roadies but I have never written about it. This season of Roadies puzzled me, and forced me to write this.
Roadies Xtreme is different. The format is the same. Selection process is the same. Tasks are the same. Politics as well. Even Ranvijay is the same. But it is different, because the behavior of participants has changed. This behavior has evolved over years. The overpowering behavior of leaders has toned down and participant behavior has shifted 180 degrees. The same change can be seen in corporate.
The change is alarming for organizations from demographics point of view. Considering these the representative behaviors of Gen Z will give you goose-bumps.
Here are the behavior changes and challenges:
1. Individual Priorities
Magnets don’t change their alignment for anyone.
Roadies X had 4 gangs. In earlier seasons, each member of the gang listened to the gang leaders and aligned to the gang goals. Roadies this time around had their own priorities. All the gangs failed to execute their strategies due to this phenomenon.
Alignment is going to be more challenging in the times to come.
2. Passive Aggressiveness
If you hate surprises, then get used to it.
Roadies X gang leaders got surprised at each and every “vote out” because their strategy did not work. Gang members changed the strategy at their own will, based on what they felt was right for them. The catch was that no one confronted the gang leader. It always came as a surprise.
Creating an open environment will be challenging to avoid passive aggressiveness.
3. Conditional Promises
Promises also come embedded with fine print.
Roadies X gang leaders are smart. They tried holding people responsible for their own words, took promises. Surprisingly, no one broke their promise. But there was a justification for non-fulfillment of promises. All the promises were conditional.
Defining deliverables specifically will be more challenging sooner than you can expect.
4. Concept of Respect
Respect has always been a two way road. It is the time to balance the slope.
“It does not matter, whether you are a participant or a gang leader. You cannot say crap and ask me to shut up. I have right to express my views.” The statement of a participant to the gang leaders changed the DNA of the show.
The evolution of respect will create challenges for the existing workforce.
5. Friendships move to next level
Friendship is more important than survival.
Friendship is above gangs. Friendship is above performance. Friendship is above survival. Roadies X indicates that bond between friends can create a different dynamic altogether.
Leveraging Friendships will be more challenging.
Summarizing...
I am still wondering, whether the behavior of all these contestants are really representative of Gen Z or whether I’m just thinking too much.
Let time be the witness.....
This is the Author's personal point of view and is not influenced by any person or organization. Image credit to MTV Roadies Xtreme
Lead Solution advisor at Deloitte
5 年It's was an entertaining and connecting read, let me try it at my work
Actively looking for the post of Data scientist
5 年Was going through your articles and surprised to see a a huge fan of Roadies show like me...Yes its true that? the contestants have really evolved over years..Also the method of personal interview round have improved a lot..Didn't miss any season since the first one..Pleased to know that people at such higher posts with great achievements watch and appreciate roadies.
Centuries ago, generations found a need to put effort on creating a synergy with the younger generations to work with, due to the natural lack of the synergy - tagged it as a gen gap and worked towards it. Centuries still, the same continues. Yesterdays' Gen X and A,B,C and all such were to the golder generation just as what today's Gen Z is to to Gen X.
RAN Network Engineer at Ericsson Global India Pvt. Ltd.
6 年Indeed a very thoughtful article and well presented. To me this article gave the leaders perception for the next generation which is really impressive. I have always taken roadies as an inspiration from contestant side as such what is best to do in that situation. All your points brilliantly summarized the whole aspect as even I feel that things are coming up more prominently from 'individual priorities to concept of respect'. Only, I would like to say something on 'friendship move to next level' as in my point of view it was about forming a group on requirement level or can say on the basis of elimination method.
Human Resources and Marketing Head
6 年Great read !!