Retail Renegades: Gen Z's Impact Will Be Profound
Gen Z kicks ass to work with
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Now to this week’s article -
Caution: Generalizations ahead.
I know that people are unique. Not every Millennial had a cushy upbringing where they got a ribbon just for running a race.
I know that not every Gen X-er is a cynic with a heart of stone. But after working in retail for twenty-four years and running large teams of people, some stigmas are shockingly accurate.
As a member of Gen X, I can confirm a lot of the shit said about us is true. And yes, this is a generation that exists. We didn't go from Boomers to Millennials. Gen X is a small generation wedged in between two massive ones.
We were left to fend for ourselves in a lot of ways growing up. We came home from school to empty households. We took care of younger siblings and cooked dinner. Our parents came home late from work and weren't too concerned with us. They had their own lives, careers, and divorces to worry about.
We were raised to be quiet, to not ask for too much, and to stay outside.
You Want Your Work to Have Meaning? What?
After my retail career was underway, Millennials entered the workforce, coming up behind me.
Most of the time I worked with Millennials, I had a permanent side-eye. I didn’t understand them.
What was happening?
These people were encouraging and fair. Harsh feedback was not something they took kindly to, and they let you know it. They realized early on that Boomers did not have it all figured out, and they wanted something else out of work. They wanted purpose.
This was shocking to me. I'd never thought about a different way to work.
Just as I got used to rainbows and kittens, Gen Z started coming up. They began turning sixteen and applying at my store.
After a year of working with them, I'd found my generational twin.
It’s All Attitude
Yes, Gen Z is radically different from Gen X, but the core attitude is the same.
“Fuck this. Your authority doesn't impress me. I'm doing it anyway.”
If Gen X had grown up with technology, we would've been like Gen Z.
Gen Z has repeatedly shown us that they understand the rules; they just don't care. If they think you're racist or homophobic, or unfair, they're going to let you know, and they're going to fuck with you publicly.
They did it when they registered for tickets en masse to a political rally they had zero intention of attending.
They most recently did it at a Boston University graduation when they booed David Zaslav and chanted, "Pay your writers!" (Zaslav is the CEO and president of Warner Bros. The Writer's Guild of America is currently on strike for better wages. Also, Zaslav made $286 million over the past two years).
So, what does this have to do with retail?
Hope
Working with Gen Z gave me massive hope for the future. Instead of puppies and vanilla cupcakes, they explored fairness by bucking the system.
When I told them, "The company wants us to set up this yard sale, but I'm not going to do it. I'm going to take the payroll and run." They were entirely on board. They could immediately see what I was doing, and they had no fear.
I absolutely loved working with Gen Z. I only hope I get to do more of it in the future.
MAILBOX
This is an excerpt of a message I received.
"I'm looking for mentors, who could help me grow. Let me know if you could meet with me on the phone or zoom. I would greatly appreciate you to challenge me with questions beforehand to help me prep."
I often get DMs from people who want to "pick my brain" or get help with a project. It's cool. I totally love it. However, I do charge for my time.
I didn't amass twenty-four years of leadership skills and business insight to sit on the phone with you for an hour for free. (That's the Gen X talking).
My jam is guiding people in the right direction and helping them see things about themselves that they can't quite see yet. It's rad. But I also need to pay my bills, so I charge for one-on-one coaching. As does everyone else on the planet.
If, after reading all this, you're inclined to book a call with me, please do. I'd be more than stoked to talk to you. BOOK HERE.
LEVEL UP
One thing you can do this week to level up your leadership.
Got a tenured person who is sliding? Give them something new.
A few years ago, I worked with a kid for a couple of years. He was intelligent and dedicated. He helped us immensely when we were preparing to reopen after the COVID closure.
Then, he got kind of sucky.
He wasn't motivated. When he was cashiering, he rang sales for himself - mainly because he was too lazy to look up the other employee numbers. The entire staff started to get frustrated.
I didn't write him up. I gave him more to do.
We taught him how to run the sales floor, pull sales reads, and give rap-ins (the beginning of the shift conversations).
He loved it. He soared. Then, he left for college.
Writing people up is rarely the answer. It doesn't do much to fix a problem and kills morale.
Take the person as a partner and show them something new. What's the worst that could happen?
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You're the absolute best.
"Gen Z has repeatedly shown us that they understand the rules; they just don't care."
This is why they're so fun to work with. Most have absolutely zero Fs to give.
I love your descriptions of the generations! Can just SEE them and their attitudes. Especially like the reminder that writing someone up seldom the answer.