Rules for Thee AND for Me. Why Gen Z thrives with honest leadership.

Listen, we know Gen Z gets a bad rap in the workplace. We have a reputation for being entitled above all over traits, thanks to some of our own behavior. However, one thing is for sure, we Gen Zer's are in the workforce, and we will continue to populate your markets. So how can your leadership generate positive results from this population of individuals flooding the workforce today?

Here's what we know:

Gen Z is connected.

We have the means to communicate with anyone, at any time, from almost anywhere. We have been firsthand witnesses to the birth of online criticism of experiences in our personal and professional lives. We share both positive and negative experiences with others online daily. Right now, there are people posting "Day in My Life" video logs of each moment of their day, including details about their careers. The more interesting content, the higher views. Often times when this generation is not satisfied in the workplace, you will see a "Storytime" on their social page(s). If we aren't the ones posting it, you better believe we are empowered by those who do. Do not underestimate Gen Zer's commitment to collecting data. Just as we need receipts for expenses, we keep receipts of every time we feel there has been a wrongdoing. We do not allow for holes to be poked in stories, and we are very prepared to poke holes in yours.

Knowing this, leaders can make themselves the audience of these hypothetical "Storytimes". Check in regularly - formally and informally. Give your employees the opportunity to honestly air out their grievances. Integral to any leadership role is the ability to objectively listen to those who report to you and communicate ways to bridge the gap between the issue and the solution. This does not mean a change has to happen, it just demonstrates that this team cares about its employee's well-being.

Gen Z craves purpose.

Want proof? Survey your Gen Z staff, ask them if they have social media. I can promise over half (at the very least) have some form of social media. Ask them why they have it. If I had to guess, a number of responses would revolve around connection, personal branding, and status quo. Why do we as humans crave connection? It gives us purpose. Let's keep doing the math on this, if connection leads to purposefulness, then what does that mean for the most "connected" generation to date? There is a positive correlation between the two; the more connection = the more purpose craved. Inversely, this means that if purpose is assigned to each task, and project, small or large, more connection is generated, and you have successfully empowered your team to complete even the tiniest of tasks with pride.

So, what does this have to do with the workplace? Well, let's say you have a team of people working on basic data entry. As a leader, did you ever do basic tasks that seemed meaningless? Think of the impact those tasks had on your career trajectory and then communicate those impacts each time you assign tasks to your team. As a leader, share how integral your team's work is to the success of the goal you're working towards. It can be a struggle to define purpose behind each task but try to think of the greater picture. If this task does not get done, what are the implications for the project at large?

We crave purpose. Give a us a task with a purpose and watch the success unfold. If success isn't achieved, the drive to achieve it will be there.

Gen Z can work from anywhere.

Many of us entered the workforce at a particularly difficult time, 2020 or COVID- era work environments. If we were not in the workforce already, we were studying in little nooks in our homes or college campuses with a face mask on, 6-feet away from anything that breathes. We had to adjust, our grades depended on it and so did our livelihood.

Do not mistake this as a rant to combat the push to get employees back in office, rather a perspective that you may not have considered. Connecting with others within the departments we work with is important for culture, you know this, I know this, we all know this. However, if permissible within your company, embracing hybrid/remote policies may benefit your team in the end. If work-from-home policies are not clearly defined and communicated upon hire and a change in work arrangements occurs, guess what? Story time! Think of us as our own HR departments. One thing is for sure - we think we know our rights and that's more of a headache for you than it is for us.

Consistency is key.

Speaking of honest leadership, if you are a leader within your organization, you are being watched. This is a universal truth, applicable to more than just the Gen Z employees on your team. If you consistently work from the car, so will your employees. If you consistently show up/sign-on fifteen minutes early, and stay in-office/online after hours, so will your employees. If you are consistently late to meetings, but ridicule your team for being late, congrats! You just created distrust and resentment within your team.

If there is a policy in place, stick to it and apply it consistently to all employees. Communicate expectations in both written and verbal formatting during the onboarding process. Check to make sure these expectations are understood by your audience. This is to protect you, the leader, but also generate trust between you and your team.

I challenge leaders to reflect on their current management practices. If you do not know where to start, below is a list of questions to help you generate thought:

1. Do you openly invite your team members to give formal and informal feedback? If so, do you receive it well even when there is no solution?
2. When you give your team tasks, are you sure to include the purpose behind each task, small or large?
3. With the exception of hands-on jobs or those with strict company-wide in office policy, how flexible are you with your work-from-home policies within the boundaries of the job?
4. Are expectations clearly defined and understood by both leaders and employees upon hire?

Our generation has managed to learn how to tell stories in under 90 seconds, share each aspect of our lives online with complete strangers, and start college or our careers during a global pandemic. We have very unique skills and perspectives that the workplace might not have seen before. As leaders, it is your duty to harness the strengths of your team and be a catalyst for achieving your shared goal.