Controversial ways I manage my GenZ team

Without lowering my standards

Morning team, happy Tuesday!

Back in 2024, I surveyed over 100k of you on Instagram and here on this blog, with one question: “What do you actually think of your Gen Z team?”

The same three answers came back, over and over:

Entitled. Lazy. Difficult to manage.

I don’t think any of that’s true, but I do believe the rules of the game have changed, and most managers are still playing by the old ones.

GenZ didn’t invent wanting clarity, autonomy, and a reason to care about the work, they just stopped pretending they didn’t want it.

Every generation before them wanted the same things and learned to perform compliance instead.

So here’s how I actually keep my Gen Z team engaged at work, and why I’ll happily call this “controversial,” even though none of it feels remotely radical to me.

I am as transparent as possible

GenZ has a very low tolerance for vague communication and BS.

I give them the full context, explain exactly why decisions have been made and never make promises I’m not prepared to keep.

When someone on my team asked for a pay rise a few years back, my honest answer was no, not right now. I didn’t soften it into “let’s revisit that soon” or some vague gesture towards “budget conversations.”

I gave them the real numbers and the real reasoning, and then I told them what would need to change for the answer to become yes.

They didn’t love the answer. But they respected it, because it was true, and because I treated them like someone capable of hearing the truth.

I stopped performing corporate

Your team does not need a leader who performs perfection and pretends to have all the answers.

They need one who is credible, self-aware, and honest.

I own my mistakes & say when I don’t know something.

I give flexibility (with clear expectations)

GenZ values more ownership over when, where and how they work (me too). But flexibility should never mean lowering the standard.

Practically, that means clear KPIs and clear ownership. Everyone knows exactly what they’re accountable for and what “good” looks like when they hit it. What I don’t dictate is how they get there.

The KPI is the fixed point. Everything underneath it (the process, the tools, the order they tackle it in) is theirs to own. I’ll never micromanage the method, but I will always be clear on the target.

I find them progression at every turn

Progress doesn’t always mean a promotion or a pay rise, but our team do need ot feel as though they’re moving forward.

I look for opportunities to build a new skill, or remove the work that’s holding someone back. Sometimes progression is a title change. But more often, it’s someone finally not doing the admin task that’s been killing their motivation BTS for six months.

I build safety into every conversation

This is the biggest one.

My team can admit when they’ve made a mistake and challenge me without first worrying about how I might react. I work hard to create a culture where people can question decisions, own mistakes, and tell me what I may not want to hear.

If someone only tells you what you want to hear, you don’t have a team. You have an audience.

Want to learn more?

I broke down exactly how I lead Gen Z without lowering my standards in this week’s episode of my podcast, The Boardroom.

🎧 How I manage Gen Z at work (without lowering my standards)

Listen on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music

Peace,

H