The ABCs of Gen Z

Five years ago, I wrote about my friend and former college housemate Colleen and the Post-It note she left me in the wee hours of a summer morning.

Colleen had written a book I found fascinating, called Disconnected. Available on Amazon, the book offers insights into how to engage the youngest members of our workforce.

I still recommend the book. Now Colleen has written a follow-up with tips and strategies for the workplace and, frankly, for life.

Aimed specifically at people who work with Gen Z employees, those born between the mid 1990s and 2010s, Get Gen Z Into the Game encourages managers to take a “warm demander” approach. Warm demanders set high standards in an empathetic way. They look for specific opportunities to connect with a generation for whom face-to-face communication has not been a priority.

Colleen is a proponent of the “Be Social” method that both encourages and supports networking, and she has written an easy to follow playbook on how to coach team members to become a cohesive unit that will work together to tackle the toughest problems.

A rich appendix includes worksheets that help develop those soft skills in the workplace and in life. I think we all could use a refresher on networking skills, especially those of us who worked at home through the pandemic.

I encourage everyone to read Colleen’s newest book, particularly those who work with, or have raised, or teach, or encounter in their daily lives, members of Gen Z.

Colleen cites some sobering statistics regarding these young adults and the mental health crisis they’re facing. She delves into the causes and offers a map to help them move forward.

The book is available on Amazon.