When managers say "We struggle with Gen Z !", you'd better listen...
We're hearing the same message from a lot of companies : "our managers need help managing Gen Z".
The difficulties are real and so is the risk of loosing both young staff talents & managers competences, but here’s what that usually means.
It doesn’t mean Gen Z is the problem. It means leadership models haven’t evolved. The managers' difficulties reveal a gap in leadership expectations from the staff and the managers.
Gen Z expects:
- Clear purpose
- Frequent feedback
- Authentic leadership
- Autonomy with structure
- Development, not supervision
Many managers were promoted for technical excellence. The leadership side of their function was never formally considered and they learned to lead on the job.
Engineers are trained on technical skills, sales are trained on sales skills, but managers are rarely mentored on leadership skills. And I really mean mentored, because acquiring skills durably means guided practice over time.
As a result, managers developed a leadership style that is a product of their own experience. Their difficulties with Gen Z reveal the gap between their experience and the one of Gen Z, leading to very different expectations from either side : trust, recognition, emotions, coaching...
That gap shows up fast. This is much more than a generational issue. It impacts:
- Retention
- Succession planning
- Cross-border alignment
- Employer brand
Running a “How to Manage Gen Z” workshop will certainly raise awareness, but it won’t solve it. It will require more than awareness, it needs a transformation and the acquisition of new leadership habits. This means applying the new ideas, practicing them, and becoming the Gen Z leader the new staff will be successful with.
What works?
- Structured coaching habits
- Developmental delegation
- Weekly goal clarity
- Continuous feedback loops
- Leaders who shift from control to empowerment
Gen Z is not the disruption, it is the signal. Gen Z is forcing function accelerating leadership evolution. If your managers are asking for help, that’s a good sign !
The real question is: are you taking the steps and equipping them to lead differently... or just explaining generational theory?