2614 “Z Generation Is Hard to Manage”: Whose Paradigm Is That? Lessons from a Seminar The Trigger

 

I recently attended an introductory seminar on “Paradigm Shift Communication.” The theme was that invisible frames of values, “paradigms,” determine our actions and results.

What stayed with me most was the discussion of generations.

A Paradigm Is a Frame You Can’t Change Even When You See It

According to the speaker, a paradigm differs from a simple assumption. You can fix an assumption once you realize it’s wrong. A paradigm, though, doesn’t let you change your behavior even when you know it’s wrong. We know eating late makes us gain weight, yet we eat. We read how-to books, yet we don’t act. Such invisible frames, he said, keep results out of reach even when ability and environment are in place.

How Generation X and Generation Z See the World Differently

The speaker described the generations like this:

• Generation X (born in the 1960s and 70s): Raised in an era when hard work paid off. Company and position tend to become their identity.
• Generation Z (born 1995 to 2010): Born with the internet, less influenced by the values of region or parents. Happiness is finding “this is me” and immersing themselves in it. They care little about salary or status, and think of a career as roughly three years. They are also highly aware of social issues.

Is Gen Z Really “Hard to Manage”?

The speaker said “Gen Z is hard to manage” is the paradigm of Generation X, and that the ones truly hard to manage are Generation X itself, with a laugh.

That was a good realization for me. Generation X, who make up much of today’s managerial level, sees Gen Z through the values of the environment they grew up in. That is why they can’t see Gen Z’s strengths: the ability to immerse themselves in something, the flexibility to stay free of old values, sensitivity to social issues. These should be great assets to any organization.

In Project Management Too

This connects to project work. In earlier posts, I wrote about “tailoring,” redesigning how a project runs to fit the situation, and “catch,” receiving the other person’s ball all the way through.

Before judging a team member by my own yardstick, I receive their ball first. The speaker’s way of asking also helps. “Why?” easily becomes a question that blames, so ask “What would happen? What becomes possible?” instead. Once you can see what someone immerses themselves in and where their strengths lie, you can design how to work with them.

Of course, generational labels are tendencies, and individuals vary widely. What matters is not stereotyping by generation, but noticing our own invisible frames.