Who they are, what matters to them and why?
BY JOSELINE BYAKATONDA
I suppose, you have just started understanding how GenY works, what matters to them and their psychology. However, a new generation has replaced them: Gen Z, iGen (because of the iPhone), centennials, or postmillennial. Born in the mid-1990s, they familiarise themselves with digital devices early enough even in Africa. They have often been dubbed digital device in hand, headphones in ears and touch screen generation.
Their worldview of work, needs and methods are significantly different, which may substantially test one’s habits and stir a rethinking about one’s management. They live in a world of endless opportunities and are readily willing to resign at any time. They believe in big visions; bearing big impact. So,
starting small may be a challenge and keeping at a stage of growth for long may be seen as stagnation. A GenZ is more comfortable working in a position with changing roles or varying field environments than staying at the same place
day in and day out. The majority are likely to choose the development world rather than public service.
GenZs are not factional, denominational, sectarian, or segregative. The June protests in Kenya over the finance bill demonstrated how solidarity works for GenZs. Having grown up in a global village where they connect and are knowledgeable about the world or can readily get information about anything, their mindset is global. They are social and high in networking, having used the internet since an early age. Growing up in the globalisation era has made them more open-minded than generations before. With trends and communication being shared across the globe, Gen Zers is the first generation with a uniform global culture. The majority of the social media and communication officers in NGOs currently are GenZs because it flows naturally and you can feel and easily connect with them in the messages.
GenZs discuss more issues about life online, a worry their parents or older generations have to stomach worrying about
their safety. Cyber safety currently forms topics for discussion, a field less heard of before.
Though there’s always a black sheep (one that goes off the right track), generally GenZs are self-driven and mostly independent. They are more of soft than hard labour and use the brain and artificial intelligence more than manual.
Roberta Katz, a senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), and associates carried out research on GenZ and among the hypotheses was being branded lazy and coddled, the findings are thrilling. GenZs are involved in trending and communication online and offer professional skills among others. They always search for trending machines and are not afraid of new brands.
A friend shared a story of how their human resource officer, in trying to create tasks for a GenZ-Intern sent her for 500 plain papers, just to keep her busy for 30 minutes. The GenZ simply went to the printer and commanded 500 copies, the printer did the counting and in a few minutes was back to the shock of the HR. On being asked whether the papers were 500, she explained. That’s a GenZ.
Do the GenZs in your vicinity struggle with rules? Ohh yeah! They struggle with protocol, thank God there’s a term ‘all protocol observed.’ GenZs respect their superiors not according to authority, or diplomas but according to their capacities, listening skills, and confidence. Employers ought to know how to manage GenZs and their struggle with hierarchical leadership. They are fast at screening information, so direct communication is key. To them all ‘animals’ are equal; you earn your respect.
GenZs are more likely to challenge rules and question authority than older people were at their age because they are used to seeking what they need on their own, online. However, they often don’t know what they need even when they walk head high. This is where inter-generational dialogue bridges the gap. Gen Zers and older cadres can learn from each other in mutual respect, listening, without correction, affirming and building trust.
Various experts predict GenZs are and will be better employees/employers compared to previous generations. However, the rift-curtain between GenZs and older generations will have to be levelled, two highlands can join. The old cadres model the GenZs in fastness and learning new ways to get assignments done while the GenZs can appreciate the why of things, thus, why things for long, have been done the way they are done.
Without this, the next generations will be inheriting baggage from the past generations than wisdom and the latter generations will swing in the air without a solid foundation.
One misconception about GenZs is thinking they prefer online interactions to face-to-face ones. They actually prefer the latter. Despite being proficient in technology, they prefer person-to-person approach to things, hence, the growth in life coaching, mentorship, and counselling fields.
Face-to-face youth engagements are as important as were in the past generations, and even more. The GenZ can help
the old generations go about how to explore the many opportunities across the globe, only if the old generations genuinely appreciate them for who they are, then, form them into what they should be.
