Gen Z in the Workplace: Who They Are, How to Lead Them, and What They Can Teach Us - with Meghan Grace

Leanna Laskey McGrath  0:08  

Welcome to the executive coach for moms podcast where we support women who are attempting to find balance and joy while simultaneously leading people at work and at home. I'm your host, Leanna Laskey McGrath, former tech exec turned full time mom, recovering perfectionist and workaholic and certified executive coach. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  0:30  

Hi everyone. Welcome back to the show. Thank you so much for joining me this week. I'm very excited to share this conversation with you. I have invited Meghan Grace, she is an expert on Gen Z. She hosts a podcast called #Gen Z. She's written books, she's done research, and I'll let her tell you all about that here in a second. But the reason that I wanted to invite Meghan here and talk about this is because in so many of my working moms and executive moms groups, I have been seeing questions about, what do these Gen Z folks want and they're in the workplace, how do I manage them? How do I talk to them? What do they care about? What are they like in your workplaces? And I just thought that maybe we could go straight to the source and hear directly from an expert on this topic to help us lead these folks at work and relate to them a little bit better. So thank you so much for being here, Meghan. Welcome. 

Meghan Grace  1:32  

Thank you, Leanna, it's always great when we get to connect. I mean, we've you've known me for vast majority of the journey of being on learning about Gen Z, so it's fun to be able to connect in this manner, and I'm excited to be able to share some insights with your listeners.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  1:47  

Yeah, I know it's been a long time, and if anyone has listened to past episodes with Corey C Miller, Dr. Corey C Miller and Meghan have done some research projects together and written some books together, right? And that was how we met. And then Meghan, you were so helpful to me whenever I was starting this podcast. So everyone can also thank Meghan for this podcast being here, because she was really helpful.

Meghan Grace  2:13  

I don't know if I was if I was helpful, if I was more like, be careful what you get yourself into Leanna, and here you are. You're doing great things, so maybe my my scare tactics didn't work, but it's for the better, and it sounds like you've got some wonderful listeners that are finding a lot of learning opportunities. So I'm excited to be here and to chat about one of my favorite things. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  2:32  

Yeah, well, Episode 66, so we've come a long way. So can you just start off by telling everybody a little bit about you and your work in the world?

Meghan Grace  2:42  

Yeah, absolutely. So I guess my identity and how I viewed this work has really evolved over time as I sit with it today. I'm 10 years into this journey of understanding Gen Z. I guess I would be considered a generational expert. I always feel weird calling myself that, but somewhere along the lines of a generational researcher, consultant, translator, I don't know what you want to call it. There's no good term for that, but we, we being Corey and I, started our kind of journey with Gen Z in fall of 2014, which is alarmingly a long time ago, and trying to understand this generation very it felt selfish at the moment, but it was actually a little bit altruistic. Because we wanted to know our students better. At the time, Gen Z was the first or second year were going into college, and so our students were changing. We needed to know who they were. And since then, we've done a number of studies. We've written a few books. We've got a new book coming out later this year, hopefully, about generations in the workplace. So looking at multiple generations in the workplace, but really Gen Z is where we started that work, and it was because those were the young people that we were working with on a college campus. And so now, obviously, Gen Z has grown up. We've grown up with them. I feel like I've been kind of their cool older cousin trying to understand what's happening and help other people understand this generation, so that we can be more collaborative across generations, whether that's in the workplace, our families, organizations, churches, community organizations, we all have to operate together, and making sure that there's harmony, and to some degree, collaboration that can exist between generations is really what fuels the work that that I do and that I collaborate with Corey on. And so I also have this podcast, because I love to chat and I'm nosy. That's the best way I can say that I got into podcasting, and when I'm not doing that, I actually I do strategy consulting and work with nonprofits and organizations and different types of groups and trying to figure out, like, how do we do the thing we said we were going to do, a simple way to put that, and how do we execute strategy? So I have a lot of different lanes that I play in, but the thread throughout my life the last 10 years has been understanding Gen Z, understanding generations, and then figuring out how we as a team, society, all work together effectively.

Meghan Grace  2:42  

Yeah, I love that. And I think what comes up for me is like, I want to go back to 2014 when you and Corey were at University of Arizona, and you were, like, these new students are coming in, and what did you notice about them that was different from previous generation, from the millennials that were there? And like, what kind of prompted you to say, I think we need to do some research here. I think we need to learn more. 

Meghan Grace  5:19  

Yeah, so our students started asking really different questions, and Corey, and I think would have a very similar core might have seen it slightly differently. I was like, the person, the young professional at the recruitment table during orientation, being like, Hey, do you want to be a part of our leadership program? And Corey might have been there as well, but maybe potentially saw from a different angle, or we led her department at the time, and we were just seeing that the questions they were asking what they were hoping out of the college experience was already different. It was just like one year, it was like a light switch it and we say, like, generations don't turn over, like at the marker of a year on January 1. Like, it doesn't happen like that. But we did feel a shift in this is the way students were looking at their time on campus. They were asking us just different questions and nothing bad, right? Like, just different questions Millennials were asking, where Gen Z was asking, you know, what kind of career preparation am I going to be getting out of this opportunity? And they were asking that at like, 17 and a half, about to be 18, not 19, 20, going to be graduating in a year kind of thing like this was them going into college. And so this preparation for the future felt younger and earlier. 

Meghan Grace  6:21  

We were also seeing that Gen Z was coming in really asking questions around like, what is the opportunity to create social change? What is my opportunity in terms of social impact, they were coming in with more of an understanding of things related to social justice and inclusion and so just very different questions, whereas, like, our millennials, it was nothing bad, but they were just, am I gonna be able to make some good friends and, like, eventually, maybe do some career preparation, learn about myself, really immerse myself in this experience and understand how I'm gonna be a leader? And in some cases, it was like, How do I lead now to prepare for maybe something I'm gonna do next year, not how am I gonna lead now for, like, my first job in five years? Like it was just, like, a different question. And again, there's, there's nothing wrong with either side of that. Like, there's nothing wrong with wanting to go to college to make friends and have a positive experience and do some skill development and get something out of that. And so we just saw that shift in our students. And it was really one summer, like the orientation questions shifted, we're like, something's going on here. And then we didn't think it was a fluke. Like, it just it wasn't like, oh, maybe, like, one high school came into orientation and, like, it was, like, a specialized high school. It was like, every single week at orientation, things were different.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  7:33  

Interesting. And can you kind of help us understand the landscape of that, or the why behind that? Like, why does this generation care. Why are they thinking that far ahead? Why are they caring about social change and social justice more? I know you've studied all of that, so tell us a little bit about that. 

Meghan Grace  7:50  

Yeah, really. I mean, it's not that they care more about issues related to social change or inclusion or anything like that. It's just that they were able to learn about it in a really deep and nuanced manner at an earlier age than previous generations. And so just the access to the internet and like how people have access to resources to be self taught in some areas, allowed them to be more advanced around being concerned about social issues. And that's not even just like the inclusion issues. It's things from like affordable housing and healthcare, school safety. In some situations, these young people were living it, right, like they're deeply concerned about climate change and the environment and school safety, because, well, they see climate change happening, and they experience school violence, and so some of those things they were experiencing themselves as young people, part of it is they were able to learn about it in a much more robust manner and be self taught in that by the time that they got to college, where they were going into service learning programs, and they were like, I've already learned about the systemic issues of homelessness. What do you mean? I don't need to go on your service learning trip. And so just really, they were very self taught in that, and that's really where they rallied around it. They've had a front seat to a lot of like the world's mess through social media as well. And so being able to see some of the issues in our in our world unfold in a way that no other generation has at the time that they were potentially teenagers and young adults. Some of these issues have always existed, but young people in that age range did not have the front seat. Like I always equate it to, if we were to take 19 year olds, say, back in the Vietnam War, and 19 year olds today who are concerned about conflict in the Middle East, the ability to see the impacts of war unfolding and conflict unfolding today is so much greater than it was back then. So like, people were very, very passionate about the Vietnam War. Young people were some of the people on the front lines of that protest. They weren't getting Snapchat and social media posts about what that war felt like and looked like, and they couldn't empathize with that human experience of it. And so technology has just evolved the way that young people can understand and engage with social issues, and they're doing it at, just say, a younger age. 

Meghan Grace  10:02  

The career development piece of questions that we were getting, I would say younger, but maybe potentially, just like earlier in the college career was that they were going into college recognizing, like, college is a stepping stone to my career, and so I'm not wasting time while I'm in college. I'm going to know what I'm going to be able to do to set myself up for the future. And that comes from just the ability to see older generations, namely millennials who were really impacted by the recession and being underemployed with their skill set in college, graduating and more. I don't want to use the trope, but like graduating with a degree and then going on to be a barista to make minimum wage, that didn't equate to Gen Z. And so they're trying to, kind of like course correct, and they're trying to future proof what they're doing, and trying to think about, what skills can I gather, what experiences can I have that's going to set me up for the future, even if the future is four years from now? And so they've been able to see, in some cases, learn from previous generations in ways that other generations, I don't know if they were paying as close attention to.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  11:00  

Yeah, well, and we probably, I'm an elder millennial, we didn't have the access to know what previous generations had done, and like you said, you know, we didn't have social media to hear people's stories and see people's stories directly. So that makes sense. As this generation then came into the workplace. I remember whenever Millennials came into the workplace, and everyone was like, freaking out, and was like, Oh my God, how do we manage millennials? Like they're so different. And I just remember thinking like we're just humans showing up at work and doing our best. We're just normal people. And it didn't seem like this huge life altering thing for companies. But I understand, and it's interesting because now I see, as someone older in the workplace, everyone saying, like, Oh, these kids are coming in and, you know, they want this and this, and they care about these different things and entitlement and such, which was also said about millennials. And so it's interesting to see that. And maybe that happens with every generation, probably as they enter the workplace, but as Gen Z has entered the workforce, and obviously, you know, have been there for a little while now, I'm just curious, like, at work, what do they care about and what's important to them, and how do they show up at work?

Meghan Grace  12:19  

Yeah. So the trope of, like, every every generation coming in, and then being like, older generations, like, nobody wants to work today. Like that dates back like centuries. There's like, newspaper clippings, I love it, of like 18 something, and it's like, the people don't want to work. And I'm like, Yeah, humans don't want to work. We want to nap. Like, come on. But the idea of a new generation coming in and causing destruction, right? That's the thing that freaks people out, because people get comfortable, right? You give it a year or two in a job and you're like, I'm comfy. We don't need new we don't need change. Imagine being in your job for 10, 15, years, and you kind of have a rhyme and a rhythm of things going on. You don't want to be changing things, because humans love stasis, like, let's just get back to our hard wiring. So that's why we get this, like, huge discomfort of generations coming in and being like, Let's do things differently, or that seems broken, because one, humans like to be comfortable. We don't like change, like nobody does. Those who are like, I love change, they're lying to you. They've just been conditioned to be really adaptable to it. So that's why older generations kind of freak out a little bit. 

Meghan Grace  13:21  

New generations coming in, they don't know what they don't know. And so sometimes we get this question around, well, they're asking these questions, and it feels like they're being disrespectful. What if you frame that on this person has never had a full time job and is trying to learn the professional and corporate ropes? Very different mindset than these young people are trying to change the policies. So when we think about Gen Z coming in, some of their motivations to work are not so different than other generations. We just completed our study and writing this up on four different generations in the workplace, you'd think that's a hot mess, but there's a lot more similarity than there is difference. There's some generational nuance in why people work and what they value and work, but for the most part, Gen Z wants to show up and get paid. They want a place where they can use their skills and maybe gain some new ones. And they want to feel like what they're doing, and this is maybe where they shift a little bit, they want to know that the efforts that they're putting forward have a potential impact on other people. And that doesn't mean like every company has to be a certified B Corp and is like changing the world, but there does need to be the conversation around like, the unsexy spreadsheet is sexy to somebody, right? And so working with people to say, like, your work does have an impact. It helps our sales team be better. It helps our upper level management understand the insights that are going on within the company. And so really framing impact is important for this generation. 

Meghan Grace  14:43  

Some of the things that we find that Gen Z is attracted to, certainly flexibility. Everyone loves flexibility because people like autonomy. They're a little bit louder about the desire for flexibility, but weirdly, they want a little bit of balance too, like they don't want to be left to their own devices fully, so a little bit of confine, a little bit of flexibility to know, like, yeah, they generally should be working between 10 and three, right? But if they're going to clock two or three hours in the evening after dinner, that's totally fine, right? They want to know the rules, because there is a lot of like, ambiguity in the world. Some other things that Gen Z is is really concerned about, is certainly financial stability. They are more concerned at a younger age than previous generations around financial stability, and they're saving for retirement like it's their last mission on earth. It's amazing to see. So some of them are outpacing previous generations at the same age that they were. So if we compare 25 year olds ish, they're saving younger and they're saving more. And so they're looking at their employment experiences and saying, it might not be the big paycheck that I need right now, but it's a higher 401K match or better benefits. Like they're looking at benefits and things like that a much younger age than previous generations are, because it's the full financial package of a job, not just the hourly wage. 

Meghan Grace  16:00  

And then finally, they're actually really looking at jobs, both from a where they want to work and where they want to stay, is what is being poured into the employee from a skill development perspective. This is a generation that loves to kind of like, gather skills and continually level up. And so the opportunity to learn something new, not just potentially within their immediate job sphere, but maybe it's cross training in another department to gather their toolbox is something that they're really interested in, and they look to companies to say, like, I'm doing work for you. Shouldn't you be teaching me how to do these skills? I shouldn't be coming as a full package, especially if you want to keep me here, you have to keep investing in me. And so it's not just the what's going to attract them, but what's going to retain them perspective.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  16:47  

That's so interesting. I think that when you talk about needing to know the impact of their work, the way that we had framed that in the millennial generation was like knowing the why behind it. But it sounds like it's even a step further. You know, it's very similar, right? That's where I relate. Where I'm like, Yeah, of course, you know, you want to know the impact of your work. I always want to know, like, the why? Like, why am I doing this? Like, if someone just tells me, hey, you need to, like, go and do this work. Like, I don't want to go and just do the work. I want to know why I'm doing it. Why, why it matters. And it sounds like taking it even a step further, like, it's helpful for Gen Z to really know who is it impacting and how is it impacting them? And how is my work helping the world or helping this company?

Meghan Grace  17:32  

And I think, and in some cases, they, a missed opportunity is, like, problem solving, not necessarily saying, like, Gen Z has to talk all the time the company's problems, but even just bringing them into a space to say, like, we would love your feedback, and also like would do you want to problem solve alongside us, and maybe someone else is implementing the change, but to know that their voice was included, to be able to say, Yeah, I helped this improve because I showed up and I shared my perspective, and I worked with these company leaders to improve a policy or improve a process to some degree. And so the ability to create impact that makes a difference for other people, because one of their like deepest motivations as a generation is they want to help other people, and they want to make a difference for others. And so like that is really broad. Like so many people think it's like, they want to be out saving the world as, like, Climate Crusaders. And I'm like, honestly, I don't think we need to amplify it that big, like some will do that. Some people just want to know, like, can I be involved in improving things? And I think that that's an important distinction of like, can I be involved in improving things to make positive changes happen? Is very different than what sometimes older generations hear, which is these new people are coming in, and they're saying everything we're doing is wrong.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  18:46  

Yeah.

Meghan Grace  18:46  

And that, it's very easy to take that as like a personal criticism, as opposed to, what could we do to elevate this and that? Again, it goes back to people are scared of change. People love stasis.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  18:58  

Yeah. Well, and I think that idea of, I've definitely experienced this, where it's like, all right, I'm the one who created all these policies, and then someone comes in and starts telling me, hey, we can improve it this way. We can improve it this way. And so it makes sense, like I start to feel take it personally, because I'm like, you're critiquing my work. And who are you? Like you just came in here, maybe try them out first before you start to critique them, right? I think that that's something that I have seen play out multiple times throughout my career. People like creating those policies, and then, you know, someone comes in and and has something to say about them, and to point earlier of maybe there's some training opportunities or educational opportunities on how to have those conversations professionally for the person coming in. And also there's the opportunities for the experienced workers to step back and say, Okay, this is not an attack on me. This is someone coming in with a new and fresh perspective, and how can I really leverage that? I mean, if we're paying this person, then there's potential benefit there. Like, maybe they have a perspective that I should consider instead of just saying, like, you know, feeling offended and then shutting down, there's an opportunity to get curious about, hmm, maybe that person has some interesting ideas, and maybe some of them don't make sense and they just need more education on like, why these were created. And maybe some of them make a lot of sense to, you know, the way that the world is moving and an opportunity for innovation in our company.

Meghan Grace  20:33  

Maybe this is more for HR professionals or people that are helping new employees orient into an organization is, where do we need to really define and say, like, trust the process of how this works, because this actually does work. And saying that politely and saying like, this is why it works, why this is in place, and then other spaces where we can be really comfortable to say, Are we open to a fresh set of eyes coming in and giving us feedback on what we can improve? Because there's some stuff we can't change, and so we might need to explain in just more detail why it exists the way that it does. I think of like policies. Sometimes policies and organizations just sit stagnant because no one thought to change them, and everyone just accepted them as Bible truth and said, This is the way that it is. And then we realized, oh my goodness, we could have changed this, and it would have benefited so many people. So it's I think leaders have just more responsibility with this generation to be transparent and not just assume that everyone knows exactly what they know, even though they've been in their job for 10 years or however long they've been there. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  21:35  

Yeah. And then the other thing that jumped out is mutually beneficial, of not just like, I'm coming in this organization, and they're paying me, but also they're getting something from me, and so there's reciprocal relationship, and I think that maybe that is somewhat tied to like, what translates as entitlement to older generations of they're coming in and they're just expecting that we give them training, we give them more skills, and that they get to be on different committees and things like that. And I think older generations is kind of like, well, I had to earn that, and they should have to earn it, and that kind of thing. And so I'm curious if you could talk a little bit more about that viewpoint of entitlement, and what that might actually be, is it entitlement or, like, what is it for Gen Z? 

Meghan Grace  22:24  

It's a little bit of both, right? So, like, I think every generation comes in and they're like, I'm the new kid on the block. I'm amazing. Every everyone's like, look at these skills I got that you don't have because I learned how to use the internet or technology more than the other the previous generation did, right? And in some cases, they are good, they're very talented. In other areas, you have to be like, Well, I have an extra decade of time working with people and and so other generations with different perspectives and different sets of skills. With this generation, I think what's going to challenge companies and leaders a little bit more is that this generation doesn't need your job. They have way more opportunity, and so many of them are already side hustling, or they already have other avenues of revenue coming in. This generation has learned, especially the second half, the second half of this generation, how to monetize their knowledge and make money in ways that previous generations have not had to. Where they don't have it is maybe potentially health benefits, right? Like they might not have access to that, but a lot of them aren't 26 yet, so they don't need them, because we might still be on their parents. So there's this mindset that they are learning skills to monetize and engage in the economy, in freelancing, in 1099 work, in side hustle work, that previous generations have never had to do so, and this is just commonplace habit. They also recognize that where they are at in the current job market is that they're oftentimes entry or very like early, mid career professionals, that there's probably another opportunity for them. And they know their worth, and they know their value, like most companies are built with a very large entry level or mid level group of employees, and so they know that those exist just about anywhere. 

Meghan Grace  24:10  

So I think there is a level of entitlement. But this generation has also been told from a very young age that if their perfect job does not exist, they can go build it for themselves. And so if it isn't working out, they might kind of like, grit their teeth for a year, stack up a little cash, and then, very humbly, be like, thank you for this employment opportunity. I'm going elsewhere. Or I'm going to work for myself. And so I don't know if we call that entitlement, or if they're just kind of like, in some cases, like stocking their acorns when it comes to skills and other spaces. The reality is, is that companies and organizations need people to do work, and so in some cases, I do think there's a bit of a shift in the workforce right now that job applicants and employees, I'm not saying are like having an uprising, but they do have a little bit more say, because there's work that needs to be done, and there's vacancies at companies that need to be filled. And so there's a lot more, I think, information for young people, especially Gen Z, to look at companies and say, like, I don't know if this is going to be a good fit for me going into it and determining I don't know if I want to be here. I don't need this job because there's also probably another job I could be applying for. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  25:25  

Yeah, that's interesting. It sounds like they're looking at it as, not as a lifetime thing, right? Like they're not going into it as like, this is where I'm going to work for life. Is it true that Gen Z is generally at a company less time than previous generations?

Meghan Grace  25:41  

No, there's actually it's through the Department of Labor and Bureau statistics, or Bureau of Labor Statistics, they did an analysis on tenure over the last three to four generations. And young people, regardless of who they are, change jobs the same amount. So baby boomers were changing jobs the same amount that millennials and Gen Z were the same as Gen X. It's just when you're younger in your career, you're trying on a lot of hats to figure out which one you look the best in, simple as that.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  26:09  

Interesting.

Meghan Grace  26:10  

Then you're more likely to get into a career in your 30s, maybe 40s, and where you're like, I think I'm going to park it like I like it here I've spent enough time figuring out which one I like, and this works unless there's layoffs, right? I think that there's some elements of control that we don't always have to determine whether we're staying there, but in terms of tenure, no, it has more to do with career life cycle than it does to do a generation. However, we are seeing shifts with younger generations framing their work. This includes millennials, especially younger millennials, that younger generations are working to live, not living to work, and that is a sharp contrast, especially from the people that are like the baby boomers, who like more or less created the idea of workaholic mindset, and Gen X ers, who are heavily productive and see their work as a sense of purpose. Younger generations are looking at and being like, that's okay, there's like, a lot of other life to live outside of work. And so they're seeking more balance and saying no to things where they know that they're not going to have elements of balance. And so Gen Z is a little bit louder in their mindset around like, I'm working to live, not living to work. Millennials, it's a little quieter, but it's like we're taking that. We're kind of like following their lead a little bit as well, so.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  27:27  

Yeah, that's, I think what comes up for me is like, what a great opportunity to learn from this generation of how we prioritize. You know, as a recovering workaholic, I totally relate to that kind of living to work, you know, and wanting to work all the time. And I think now as a parent, I look at that a little bit differently. And, you know, I want to have more balance. And I think that so many of our listeners are there too, where they're like, I've been an workaholic, been there, done that, and now I have kids, and it's like, I would love to kind of shift that. I don't necessarily know how, but like, maybe there's an opportunity to kind of learn from Gen Z about that a little bit more of, like, how to think about work as a means to an end, and less about it being our whole lives. I think that maybe it can be a little bit confronting whenever we have set up our lives where work is central to our lives, and then, you know, this kid comes in here and is like, Hey, I'm here for my eight hours, or, you know, however long, to get my job done. But like, once we kind of get into the evenings or weekends, I'm not really interested in continuing to engage because I've got other things going on in my life. And I think that for someone who's built their life around their work, that can be, you know, kind of triggering or confronting, of like, hey, you know, this is what it takes to be successful, so you got to do it, too. And there's kind of like that reciprocal expectation.

Meghan Grace  29:01  

I think that a little bit of it also comes from the fact that Gen Z wants different things in life, right? And that's okay, like, that's completely okay. And I think you're right that it's confronting for maybe a newer hire or a younger career employee to say, like, Hey, I work my eight hours, and please don't bother me on the weekend, because that sounds like your choices of working after hours is less valuable to me. Gen Z is really like, live your life. I don't care what you do on the weekends. I don't care what you do in the evenings, but I'm not dealing with it, right? And people that do work on the nights do work on the weekends. That used to be me as well. You take it as like, okay, but I had to cut my teeth to do this to be successful, so you better get down in the trenches and do it too, and Gen Z is like you got scammed kid, right? Like they are so okay, saying that and being like someone lied to you, that that was the path to success, because you're not happy and you're probably not healthy, and that is something that they prioritize more than anything, right? Like they're prioritizing having a human life and human experience. 

Meghan Grace  29:01  

They also have like, this weird nihilism where they're kind of like, the world could end tomorrow. Do I really need to be working 12 hour days when the world could end tomorrow? They have this like, interesting balance of, like the human experience with also like the doom that feels like is constantly following us around and realizing, like, it's better to enjoy my life than to waste my hours at a desk doing something like that. They also have this realism to be like, I gotta pay bills, so I do need to work, but I'm probably not going to over commit. I just think they also saw, like a lot of the elements of presenteeism of previous generations, that when you work the extra hours and you're willing to answer the emails beyond, like, the working hours and working over the weekend only gets you so far, and no one's counting that, and they're just not really willing to give up, like, their happiness and other things in their life to maybe get a promotion, especially if they're producing good quality work in the hours that they are working.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  30:58  

Well, I love that. I think there's so much we can learn from them for sure. So the folks who are probably listening to this are likely managing Gen Z, or has them on their team. So any suggestions kind of beyond what we've shared so far, of how to best approach them, how to have productive conversations with them, you know, things to think about whenever we're maybe hiring them or leading them.

Meghan Grace  31:25  

Yeah, so Gen Z's. They're very open, very honest people. They do not respond well to corporate robots or like the filtered, canned response. I know this is counterintuitive to what, again, most generations have learned growing up as like, be the professional. Like, I don't say like professional Barbie, but like, kind of like, be the perfect professional. They don't vibe with that. They don't buy it. They want a real person. They want someone that is real to who they are, and they want someone that's authentic and transparent. And like to them, transparency and authenticity go hand in hand. And so sometimes leaders, people that might be managing might struggle with like this idea of authenticity, because it feels private, but transparency is a completely different ball game. This idea of being transparent about what's going on really matters to this generation, and being true and truthful and integrity. So those are just some of the characteristics they look for in leadership. 

Meghan Grace  32:20  

When we're thinking about what good managers can do for this generation, I think one is extend the hand of mentorship again, if you have that capability, or the extending the offer to connect them with a mentor. That is one of the things that Gen Z is seeking in the workplace. They might not want a formal mentoring program. They might not need, like a full ceremony of mentorship, but they do recognize the important element of mentoring relationships and how that does help you get ahead in life, and how that helps you get ahead in the in career, and that's something that many of them, especially missed out those who are working remotely, they have an extra uphill battle because you don't get to see your mentor or the person that's potentially supporting your career on a daily basis. And so, like, some form of mentoring, whether it's formal or informal, I think, is really important. And just this idea of like, let me contribute to your success, let me figure out how I can be on your team to support your future success is really big to them. 

Meghan Grace  33:17  

And then the other one is finding ways to engage them like in opportunities that they might not otherwise get. So whether it again, is coming to the meeting to just provide feedback on something, being in the space where things happen matters to them and being able to have a voice. And again, it's not necessarily that they think that like they have to solve all the problems, or that they need to be the person implementing the strategy. They just want an opportunity to have their have themselves be heard. And I think that that's something that good managers, in my opinion, are good listeners and good problem solvers for the people that they work with.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  33:54  

And then, you know, whenever we think about managing this generation, and, you know, incorporating them into the workforce, and maybe some of the things to consider, and maybe there are challenges, in what ways do you see Gen Z benefiting organizations? And you know, kind of really like, what is their positive impact on an organization?

Meghan Grace  34:15  

This generation, I think they are smarter, not harder. They are not going to take the road of most resistance like and so in some cases, I think that that's a good thing, that they are gonna help us, especially if we're giving them the opportunity to, to figure out, how can we be more efficient? How could we do this better? But that, again, that takes a lot of self awareness to say, This isn't an attack at me as a member of an older generation. This is an opportunity for a fresh set of eyes who are trained with technology to learn how to do things efficiently and to scale things fast. How can we bring that into this? I think the other benefit that they have is that they're challenging all of us to just be healthier humans, be more mentally well, be more physically well. And to be conscious about what we're doing to our human existence, right? Like, I just think that they're going to challenge in a positive way, organizations to think more critically about mental health, think more critically about holistic wellness and how our work impacts our our physical being and our mental being in different ways. And so I wouldn't be surprised, like this generation is going to use their sick days. They're probably going to use all their PTO because one, you're giving it to them anyways, and two, they actually want to unplug from work. And so I think that they're just going to role model some healthier behaviors, because they're unwilling to sacrifice their values, which I love about them at such a younger age, they're unwilling to sell out who they are and what they value just for a job. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  34:33  

Yeah, I love that. And I think people in later generations get there at some point in their career. Many people do. The way I think about it, it's like evolution. It's so cool that this generation is getting there sooner, because then imagine what amazing things we can create in the world whenever we are focusing on ourselves and pouring into ourselves and focusing on our mental health and physical wellness and things like that. And I wonder, you know, at what point will it be for the next generation where they're starting to recognize and prioritize those things as important, and then what are we going to be able to create in the world even better than we've already created, and even as we continue to evolve our species. So anything else that you would want to share that I haven't asked you about, that you're like, you have to know this about Gen Z, or about working with Gen Z?

Meghan Grace  36:33  

I think the thing that I try to tell other generations, especially millennials, like, we're all going through this, like, identity crisis of not being the young ones anymore. And I'm like, get over it. Like, can't go backwards, friends. No, I think the thing that I like to say to other generations about this generation is you don't have to become them to build a strong relationship with them. So you don't have to change your fashion, you don't have to change your hair, you don't have to change the language you use. You don't have to change who you are to fit in with more or less 22 year olds. And do you want to, right? Like, what value is it providing? And in fact, they can sniff that out and be like, I know you're trying too hard, right? They would. They would rather you be yourself and just be authentically who you are, solidly be the generation that you are, but also extend the branch to say, like, hey, I want to understand things from your perspective. Like, can you explain, like, this meme, I don't get it, but I want to know, right? Like, I don't understand, but I want to know, can you teach me? Is the number one way that we can create collaboration across generations. Purely just saying, like, teach me your perspective on this and what this means to you. So I think that that's a big one, is just like, don't try to become them. Just have a good relationship with them. You probably know how to build a good relationship. And if you're like, we don't have anything to talk about, you do. It's just the things are different, right? So, like, young people kind of always want the same things, right? Like, regardless of generation, they want strong social connections, they want to prepare for their future. They want to have a good time, right? Like that's what young adults, where Gen Z are kind of squarely in their 20s. That's what all people of that age, generally speaking, are trying to achieve, is have a good social connection, kind of feel some sense of purpose, figure out who I am and have a nice time. And so there's a way to connect to that without being like, back in my day when I was 20, right? Like, they don't want to hear that either. So it's just this idea of like, Oh, what did you do? Like, what do you do for your hobbies? Oh, that's awesome. Cool. You hike. I like to hike too. What's your favorite hike in the nearby area? So just simple way is sharing hobbies without having to feel like you're like, Oh, we're we should go do our hobby together, because they also don't want that either. So I just think it's like, build a real relationship, and don't try too hard. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  38:46  

Okay.

Meghan Grace  38:46  

Just don't, don't try too hard. Just be yourself. And like, this is a generation that's going to love you for being yourself, but they'll criticize you for trying to be too cringe. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  38:55  

Yeah, I don't know why, but like, the image of cool mom from Mean Girls, keeps going into my head.

Meghan Grace  39:02  

Don't do that. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  39:02  

Don't do that. 

Meghan Grace  39:02  

I mean, you can, if that feels right for you, but I do think it's a matter of just like, they would rather you be yourself, even if yourself is like kind of a dorky millennial, and they're going to make fun of you for that. But I just like to remind them, you know, Gen Alpha's on their way, and they're going to make fun of you too. So get your thick skin ready, Gen Z. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  39:02  

Yeah. And you're gonna be saying, Oh, these kids.

Meghan Grace  39:07  

Exactly. You're gonna be like, How dare these high schoolers tell me fill in the blank, and I'm gonna be like, welcome to your 30s.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  39:21  

Yeah, awesome. Well, thank you so much, Meghan. I appreciate you sharing all of this with us. I think that -

Meghan Grace  39:30  

Yeah.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  39:30  

- for me, I mean, I just think there's so much to learn. I saw a meme the other day that like a good reminder that everyone we meet that we can learn something from them. And I think sometimes, as we get older, we forget that people younger than us have so much to teach us. There's so much we can learn. I learned so much more from my five year old daughter than I ever would have thought possible whenever we maybe go into it, thinking, what can I learn from them? Then we show up a little bit more open and curious than, like, something's wrong with them because they're different from me and they're entitled. And, you know, all the things that older generations tend to think about younger generations

Meghan Grace  40:13  

And on that point, like a really simple one, like for managers, whether you've got, like, small group meetings, team meetings, individual meetings. One of my favorite ways that I work with students and young people is like, I have them teach me something they learned this week, or teach me something I might not know, right? And like, that's like our icebreaker. And so it's like a thing where it's a really, you get to hear people's passions, but then you also get their personality. And sometimes you're you get things that are you're like, Okay, now I understand this generation a little bit more. So that's like one of my favorite ice favorite icebreakers is, like, teach me something you learned this week. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  40:45  

That's so cool. 

Meghan Grace  40:46  

Yeah. And it's really fun. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  40:47  

I love that. I love that one for any generation, yeah.

Meghan Grace  40:49  

Any generation. That is, it's just, like, a great way to share things. And I never put like, qualifiers on it, like it has to be with class or it has to be with work. I'm like, I learn a lot of weird stuff. Just Google it, and I love to share weird things with people. And so, like, it's just like, teach me something you learned this week is like, my favorite way to get to know people. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  41:06  

I love that. Awesome. Well, thank you so much. And Meghan, where can people find you, find your books, and your podcast, and your research?

Meghan Grace  41:14  

Yeah, yeah. So my website is kind of like, probably a good home base for that. MeghanMGgrace.com, M, E, G, H, A, N, my parents gave me that extra H, but Meghan M grace.com, you can find access to the podcast. You can find our books are really easy to search, and then on just about every social media. I'm pretty sure my my handle is Meghan M grace, and so you can find me there. I am mostly on LinkedIn and Instagram, but I do also love threads, but that's mostly me just talking about TV. Sometimes work, but mostly TV.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  41:47  

Wonderful. Well, definitely, if you want to learn more about Gen Z, go check out Meghan's work and tell us more about your book coming out.

Meghan Grace  41:54  

Yeah, so Generations and the World of Work is hopefully coming out later this year, if not early 2025 it features findings from our recent study that looked at four generations in the workplace, so Gen Z through baby boomers. And I think it's a really cool account we follow generations through each of the career life cycles, from career planning all the way through retirement, and trying to understand how we can create workplaces that are meaningful and engaging to four different generations. So there's a little bit of something for everyone in the sense that one, you probably can read about yourself and your own generation in the book. But two, if you're working with people across generations, whether that is your supervisors, or you are managing other people of different generations, there's hopefully some some tangible strategies that can be pulled from that. And so we're excited to be releasing that later this year.

Leanna Laskey McGrath  42:41  

Awesome, wonderful. Well go check out Meghan's book, check out our podcast, and learn lots more about this generation, because I think there is a lot to learn. So thank you so much, Meghan for sharing all of your wisdom that you've learned over the last 10 plus years. And we appreciate you being here. And thank you everyone for tuning in, and we will see you all next week. 

Leanna Laskey McGrath  43:05  

Thanks so much for tuning in to the executive coach for moms podcast. Please like subscribe or follow the show so you'll be notified when the next episode is available. I hope you'll join me again next time. Take care.