The UnlearnT Podcast
The UnlearnT Podcast is designed to help you gain the courage to change your mind about things you never thought you would change your mind about. Our hope is that you will begin to move towards a life of freedom after hearing stories from individuals who have chosen to unlearn some things in their lives.
The UnlearnT Podcast
Unlearning Gen Z in the Workplace w/ Jaquetta Ross
Jaquetta Ross joins us to debunk common misconceptions about Generation Z in the workplace and shares insights from her 12 years of working with this young adult population.
• Gen Z is often mischaracterized as entitled, naive, and lacking work ethic when they actually crave mentorship and genuine connection
• They're exceptionally good at recognizing authenticity and will respond to leaders who are real with them
• Many Gen Z behaviors stem from watching older generations be "fake and miserable" in professional settings
• Building relationship before offering criticism is essential - you must earn the right to be heard
• Gen Z needs emotionally mature leaders who are as invested in their success as their own
• Their sensitivity often comes from questions about belonging rather than inability to handle feedback
• They bring unmatched creativity, sincere commitment, and willingness to challenge outdated systems
• Once they find their purpose, they "lock in" and hold everyone accountable to standards
• To lead Gen Z effectively: be straightforward, don't pander, build security within yourself, and be genuine
Join us for our upcoming series on leadership types where we'll help you identify your particular leadership style.
yo, yo yo. What's up, everybody, and welcome once again to the unlearned podcast. I am your host, ruth abigail aka ra. What's up, friends it's your girl, jaquita and this is the podcast that is helping you to gain the courage to change your mind so that you can experience more freedom. We are here in our series on Unlearning Gen Z, gen Z.
Speaker 2:Generation Z. Listen, I just got one question to ask the people. Did you miss me?
Speaker 1:Huh, yeah, because technically we should have done this differently, because technically, on this particular one, jaquita is our interviewee. Okay, for this particular one she's not really like co-host Jaquita, she's interviewehost Jaquita, she's interviewing.
Speaker 2:Jaquita, you know what I'm saying, so I need a moment. I need a moment okay, so. I'm supposed to like introduce her.
Speaker 1:You know I'm saying like I introduce all the other people, so we're gonna try to do that. I know y'all know Jaquita no.
Speaker 1:I want to hear it, okay? Well, I, I'm not gonna do that. I'm really a bad introducer, so I'm just gonna tell you you like it's not going to be great, but y'all, we so excited to have a fix your face, we so excited to have this incredible guest to help us round off, round out our conversation about the next generation. You know her, you love her. This is Miss Jaquita Ross, who has been working with this generation for about six, seven years now.
Speaker 1:Jaquita, girl longer than that. How old is gen z right now? I don't know.
Speaker 2:They are mid-20s, 28 I think it's no I've been working with the I'll be where I've been working with these children since 2013 oh wow, okay they were around in 2013.
Speaker 1:12 years You've been working with this next generation for 12 years.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, I have.
Speaker 1:And really focused on them in their young adult phase. See, I'm focused on them when they're teenagers.
Speaker 2:My Lord.
Speaker 1:And then they go from the teenage years to the young adult years, and that's where Quita picks up. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:Listen, so Quita been working off. It's a hand, it's a handoff. It takes a village it's like an assembly line, all right I take mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's it, that's it, that's it. So what we're going to talk about is uh, today we're going to we, you know, we've talked to a couple of um, we talked to an entrepreneur, we talked to a recent college student and we talked to a youth pastor. Now we're going to talk to somebody who is in the kind of professional career space with this generation.
Speaker 1:Now, quida, like, if there's anything that I hear about this generation when it comes to the career space, it is mostly negative. I mean, like you know, I know, I know it's a little sad, but, like you know, they, they, they want more than they deserve, they are um, you know, they don't work hard, they don't know how to talk to people. These are things I hear, right, and to some degree I've experienced them. I won't say completely, but I have experienced it on some level. I do not believe that it's the, definitely I don't believe that's everybody, but what are some of the things that you hear about this generation in the workplace? I just don't know a lot of people that are excited about Gen Z in the workplace.
Speaker 2:Interesting. So you're asking me what I hear, or what I experience.
Speaker 2:What you hear, okay, definitely what I hear about Gen Z is that they're entitled, that they are naive right that they don't understand structure or know how to navigate difficult circumstances, that, uh, these are things I've heard now that they give up quickly and easily, like there's not a lot of tenacity. Um, you know, I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about generations, but I mean, I think it's, I think it's, you know, important to know. They said the same thing about us. They did.
Speaker 1:I think about the same thing. They did yes, they did yes, they did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I think that there's this general note, um, that Gen Z doesn't want to, doesn't want to work, that they're stuck on their phones and that they don't know how to engage the real world.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but your experience. So let's talk about your experience.
Speaker 2:I would say my experience has been honestly quite different than that, honestly quite different than that, and I think I think the first piece of that is because, gen Z, I think I think it's going to be important for people to understand their, their aptitude for recognizing real Right, and if you're real with them, they'll be real with you. And if you can get to a place, to that relational place where you're actually hearing them, I think you would experience them differently, because if our perceptions of them come only from what we see or from what we've heard, and not from conversation and relationship, you're going to misjudge them every time. I think they are very sincere, they're very genuine, they're very. What you see is what you get. You know like they are not. I think what they what we call they don't know how to be professional is. They stopped, they watched and saw people be fake. They saw people and not only did they see people be fake, they saw people fake and miserable, and I think Gen Z has they have. Their motivation is I don't want to be miserable.
Speaker 1:Give me an example. When you say people fake and miserable, who are these people and what did they see?
Speaker 2:I think, I really think some of their older generation, like, they've seen people put on faces. They've seen people talk one way in front of a group of people but then when they're in private spaces with those people whether that's family members, whether that's people, adults, that they are just around they've seen people be different in different settings. They've seen them, you know, put on the professionalism and the mature face, but then in another setting it's like you're a completely different person, Right?
Speaker 1:Is that new, though? I mean like, is that not? Did we not see that? Like? Why is that so? Why is it? Why do you feel like? Do you feel like that impacts this? Well, let me just ask do you feel like that has impacted this generation more than it has older generations, particularly our generation? Because I would say that we've experienced that to some degree?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, we definitely experienced that. But I also think that we were in a different time and progression of history, like you know, when we were coming out and we were born in mid late 80s, right, right, you know like the 80s was a completely different landscape than the early 2000s. Very true, when they were coming about. You know, like the 80s, you know just even like the freedom of expression and and just like the you know what community happening on a computer or on a phone, I will say that I think that relational things do have to be taught for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:But I think the misconception that needs to be challenged is that they don't want it All right, that all they want to do is be on their phones or to be walking around, you know, living in a, you know pretend, you know intellectual technology based landscape, and that's not true. They very much want connection. They very much want mentorship, and that has been. I think if I had to label something as my biggest experience is that they want mentorship. And if you have experienced in your time that someone from the Gen Z population did not want to be, that you felt like you weren't being heard by them, it's probably because they didn't feel heard.
Speaker 1:Let me ask this, because this is something, this is a tension that I personally struggle with right as a leader. I definitely feel that I think you hit it spot on that Gen Z, especially in the workplace, does want mentorship. They do want connection. I agree with you a thousand percent. It is not that they don't want it. What is? How would you help leaders, and particularly our, our generation? Because we are, we, as weird as it sounds, and we talk about this a lot like we're we're the adults in the room now and it's very weird Right.
Speaker 1:And so we're the more adult by the day by the day, by the day, hour by the day. And so we, we are the ones, that ones that they are often looking to, but we got our own stuff right and we're trying to figure things out. And we're trying to figure out how do we move, how do we lead and how do we make decisions. How do we grow? How do you help leaders who are growing, who are charged with leading this next generation in the workplace? How would you help them to? What are some tips or what is some advice you would give as to how to mentor well while also growing yourself?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, when I, when I first started kind of in like the campus life space, I had a group of guys that were like they were my guys, still are my guys to this day, to this day. I ain't even got name, no names. Y'all know who you are, you know you're my people, you know I'm down with you, you know. But I had a group of guys and I I mean like they were like my children, like they were like my crew. I had girls too, but I had, I had my guys and, um, I remember, because I'm a woman, I tried to be very intentional about getting them in spaces with men like I, you know, like I was like okay, why don't y'all go talk to you know such and such down the hall about this? Or you know, talk to me like don't, don't stop talking to me, but have you ever talked to such and such? Or have you ever had a conversation and it was like nah, because he looked like going to tell me to pull my pants up.
Speaker 2:And you know and go, hey, young man, young man, young man, come here, come here, young man, you know. And they was like, nah, I'm not, I'm not going to talk to them Because they're they're going to come in with criticism first. And I think what we read as correction they hear, as you don't think I'm good enough. You know what we think is encouragement, right, and, I think, I think, being mindful that they are always reading between the lines, because, again, they are really, they are really good, they are a generation that is really good at reading people. Sure, right, they are really good at knowing your intentions, knowing if you know, if you really care about them, if you really want to be down for them, if you're really trying to be here for them. They really, they're really aware of that. And so I think my, my first tip would be have open-ended conversations, like, don't go into the space saying, okay, I know exactly what I'm going to tell them today. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, have, when you are, you know, again, my crew from that time in my life. They're still my crew to this day, right, they know they can come and talk to me about anything and half, even when it was scary, you know, right. They know they can come and talk to me about anything, because I've always left it open and never, uh, when we, when you uh go into the conversation with the mindset of I'm going to fix that in you, you know what I'm saying. I'm about to tell you about yourself and you're going to listen to me because I'm older, you're going to be very disappointed because that person, that that, especially from the Gen Z generation, they will shut down and they won't tell you that they shut down. Now, some of them will cause they can get feisty but they will shut down.
Speaker 2:And so you do have to, you do have to work your way in through relationship, and relationship happens on the foundation of understanding and so have open ended conversations. So I remember there was one time in particular that I knew I looked at one of them and I said I got to talk to him. I got to talk to him because I can see it on him, something ain't right. So I was like, hey man, come downstairs with me real quick, because we had like a storage closet downstairs and so I was just talking to him and I was like, hey man, hey man, say man.
Speaker 1:Um, he said to him and I was like hey man, hey man, say man what you been doing.
Speaker 2:What's up? And then immediately it was. It was almost like he wanted to give that to me, right, because I didn't go in and say you know what? I see exactly what you've been doing and I can tell you about yourself and let me tell you what you're going to change. Yeah, let me tell you what you need to get together. Ours is going to mess you up. Yeah, right, but once he opened the door, I can walk. I can walk in through an open door. We spend a lot of time trying to break down and bust down other people's doors without getting allowed in, and I think, especially with Gen Z, we feel like we have a right to their door. Like you're a kid, let me in.
Speaker 1:You don't know nothing.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you what you're going to do. That's right. Let me tell you what's right to do. And then we wonder why Then we start labeling them when really it's an us problem? Really it's an us problem because they're, absolutely they are, very sure of their rights, and you know, and of their, of their self autonomy. Yeah, You're not coming up in my space, You're not doing that.
Speaker 2:When I worked at the last school I worked at, I was teaching a class and so you know like it was an afternoon class, so you know the students been doing stuff all day and they come to class. I promise you, every week this girl came in with a new work uniform on. Like one day she was working at Bojangles. Then she would come in and she'd be like I'm at Krispy Kreme now, Ms Ross, because Bojangles was tripping. Then the next week it's Bath and Body Works Girl. I had to leave Krispy Kreme because they was tripping over there. They was going to play with me.
Speaker 2:The next week, JCPenney's Girl. I couldn't fool up and I was like child ain't, no way. You got a new job every week. But there's this sense of self-autonomy and I got to protect myself and I got to cover myself, and mostly because people think that they can come at me any kind of way, meaning people think that they can talk to me any kind of way, say anything that they want to say, because I'm young, and so when we, when we put them in those positions, yeah, they buck back.
Speaker 1:So this is interesting and I think this is something that our general we didn't grow up with parents that had that kind of yeah, you got hit in the mouth. Care about that. I'm sorry you might need to bleep that out, definitely keeping that. But, yes, right, that happened, right and that whole.
Speaker 2:like you know, I'm just going black history right, it's just what it is.
Speaker 1:And I do think that's that's, that's a, that's a real thing, that's important, like that wasn't how we were. We were not brought up. You know, we, every, I think every generation has this complex of you know. You know this will happen to me and I think it's healthy to unlearn, because there are things that we should just stop doing. And so what are the characteristics? I think, especially in the workplace, when you're talking about relationship and building relationships and connection in order to, like the way I like to say it is, you know, earn the right to be heard. It's a phrase we use all the time, um, in, you know, in youth ministry, right?
Speaker 1:dang but what earn the right to be heard. Yeah, that's what you described. Like you earn the right to be heard. Like, in other words, like I'm going to be a um, we're going to build relationship, so that I'm gonna I, I'm going to make deposits into you as the leader.
Speaker 2:You earn the right as the leader you earn the right to be heard. I was thinking it was the other way around. Oh no sorry that, like the, the, the children got to earn the right to be heard. Oh, no, no, no no no, no, no, no, no you better.
Speaker 1:Maybe I'll hear you out. That's hilarious.
Speaker 1:No, let's be clear Us as the leaders. We earn the right to be heard by kids. Okay, glad we cleared that up. I'm glad we did too, Cause I was like, why is she looking like that? Like that's actually I, just that's what you just said. But but we, we, we learned how to do that Right, and?
Speaker 1:And the other way I like to think of it is it's like you know your relation relational bank account Right and, and the other way I like to think of it is it's like you know your relation relational bank account Right. So, like you, you, when you, when you take, when you don't have any money in your, in your account, and you withdraw without any having to deposit anything, you go into the red. And so that's the same thing with relationships. You have to deposit before you you know you take out, right, yeah, um, with for you withdraw, and there are moments where you have to withdraw with with younger people, because there are things that have to be corrected, there are things have to be taught, there are things that you know like, but I, I can understand you start doing that immediately. You start off in the red relationally.
Speaker 1:So what are? That is something. But again, I've been trained that way. You've been trained that way. We've been doing this for a long time. Most people our age and who are in these spaces aren't, don't are not, trained to do that Right. That's not. That's not a skill that's built up. What are the characteristics that people need to work on in the workplace in order to get to that point? What are the characteristics that you're like? Hey, if you're going to lead Gen Z, well, you need to make sure that these things are built up in you.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's a wonderful question. I want to make a point because, as you were talking, something came up and I want to make that point. Then I want to answer your question. When I start off any relationship with a young leader and I, I set the precedence for what that relationship is going to look like and I sit down with them, especially in the workplace, since we're talking specifically about that. I sit down with them and I let them know I'm an investor, right? I? My job in this relationship is to pour into you and to invest in you so that you get to the next place you're supposed to get to. And so, because they know I'm not I'm and I tell them straight up I'm like, listen, you're going to learn to do this job and you're going to learn to do it Well, I have no doubt about that. That's why I bought you on my team. All right, I am invested in where you're going and I think that that sows a necessary seed to where, immediately, I'm trusted.
Speaker 2:My opinions and advice is welcome. My guidance on, if they're struggling between what to do and how to do it. My guidance is asked for because they know I'm invested in, not just what they're doing, because I already believe in you, right, but not only do I believe in you for this moment, I believe in where you're going, yeah, and that I have found has been my secret sauce, if you will, especially with Gen Z, because I think, like, like we stated, so many people don't believe in them just because they're young, you know, just just because they're young, just because they haven't had the same experiences and the same, um amount of uh, they don't. They don't come from the same generation that we do, they, they, they grew up in a completely different world than we did, but they're so capable, um, and if you start off with the statement I believe in you, I'm going to invest in you because I believe, I think that sets the proper stage for you to continue to push forward and building that relationship with them. Now I'm trying to remember the question, okay.
Speaker 1:So no, that's good. So what are the? What are the particular characteristics that people need to build up in themselves in order to have the stamina to build relationships?
Speaker 2:Let me tell you first, off the bat, okay, you, emotional maturity, emotional intelligence, yeah, okay, don't come in needy. I like, if you are looking to build up your self-esteem off of the affirmation and off of the love and the mutuality with a young adult, you're going to be disappointed, right, and you're going to make the moment about you. And there is, I think, as a millennial and as a middle adult, there was a moment when I realized that we're the bridge, that we are the bridge between the younger generation and the generations that are ahead of us, sure, and that older generations need us to be the middleman. You know, I'm all about middle management. They need us to be the middleman in order to help equip and build these younger leaders so that they can take their places. Right, because the older generation, they ain't going to do it. No, they ain't going to do it. It is upon the middle adult. It is, and it should be as it should be, for sure, but it is upon the middle adult to take Gen Z, take your rightful place.
Speaker 2:We know you and I'm going to get you to where you're supposed to be. Yes, like Rafiki holding up Simba. We know you, yeah, right, and I'm going to get you to where you're supposed to be Right. Yes, like like Rafiki holding up. That's Simba Circle of life, but you know it is. It is. You have to be in a very unselfish space. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know in order, because you have to be.
Speaker 2:if you're going to work with that generation, you have to be just as invested in their success as you are your own.
Speaker 1:All right, pause, pause, because that's something we need to hear. I need you to say that again because I think that is a huge tension and that's why I want it, particularly with leaders who are still in their own growth phase. I mean, I take myself as an example, right Like you got to be. You have to, you have to, you have to be willing. Say it again, Say what you said again.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you something and you OK, I'm a repeat it, then I'm going to expound. But you have to be just as invested in their success as you are your own. I think something that we as middle adults, millennials, older millennials especially have to really contend with is we were brought up under this, under this ideology of the American dream Achieve, achieve, achieve, make the A, make the grades go, be great, be top of the class. You know like we really cared about that stuff. You know Gen Z? I don't think they they not as into that as much.
Speaker 1:And the path was a little bit more defined.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Their definition of success is way more unconventional than ours, because we didn't see as many options as they did. You know, we grew up saying you know I'm going to be a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher or something that I've seen before. Yeah, gen Z, so many barriers have been broken when answering the question of what I can be.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:First of all, I don't have to just be one thing. I'm not living my life to be any one thing in particular. They don't see themselves within these boxes, in these career boxes. So when they're thinking about what I'm striving for, they're not thinking about achievement, they're thinking about satisfaction. Right, I want to be, I want to be happy, I want to have joy, I want to be respected and admired. I want you know what I'm saying. Like they're thinking how do I want to feel? How do I want the things that I do? What do I want that to? How do I want the things that I do? What do I want that to produce for me? And not necessarily, what do I want to do?
Speaker 2:Who do I want to be, and I think they get judged for that, because a lot of them are graduating high school and graduating college and saying I don't know what to do. Yeah Right, because they weren't they. They weren't set on a career path, they were set on a uh, on a, on a satisfaction path, on a lifestyle, on a lifestyle path. Yeah Right, because that's what they see, that's what they see, they have been bombarded with.
Speaker 2:And even you know, I will say there's also. There's also a distinction in that there are the older Gen Z who I kind of work a lot with now. Um, you know, they're my graduate assistants, they're the young professionals that I work with. You know they're in there, you know, mid twenties. Some of them, like, are like 27 ish now. You know. Then I have the like recently graduated college. You know they're 22 to 24, you know they're just now getting their feet wet. Then I have, like, the college students. You know, like all of them, all of those pockets, they're just now getting their feet wet. Then I have, like, the college students, you know, like all of them, all of those pockets, they're just a little bit different yeah, you know just kind of how, like we used to, you know, be like, hey, we're not them young millennials right, you know what I'm saying it's different.
Speaker 2:We're the older ones. Yes, we're not doing the cinnamon challenge. Yeah, you know, when we saw them do that, we was, oh no, we don't know y'all, are we not?
Speaker 1:we're not eating tide pods, that wasn't us. That when we fund, do it that was the younger millennials we don't we don't know them we know it's the same with jimmy. We don't know them we don't know them.
Speaker 2:We were that's when we started calling out what we call ourselves pen pen, zennials. I think we called ourselves zennials. Is it like? Is it x, yeah, zennials, yeah. Think we called ourselves zennials.
Speaker 1:Is it like x, yeah, zennials, yeah like older millennials, elder millennials, generation x yeah, elder millennials elder millennials. Okay, we were like for sure yeah, you're right, we don't know them.
Speaker 2:We don't know that ain't us then, and we were, we felt, I felt like we were always telling people hey, right, right, that wasn't me eating the tadpole. I just want to be clear but you know, I feel like in gen z is the same it's the same sure yeah, I've the 26, 27 year olds I work with.
Speaker 2:They are some of the most professional, driven, ambitious people I know, like, and and on top of their game, right Like killing it, like I would put them in front of anybody and say you want this person on your team. Right, like they are. They are, um, they're, they're kind of in that middle state. But emotional, back to the original question emotional maturity like you have got to have yourself secured. Yes, right, like you, you have to know your triggers. Yes, you have to go in knowing who you are, where you are, and not put that on them. Yeah, you know you don't feel satisfied in your uh, in your uh, career advancement, where you you are. Don't put that on them. Yeah, don't make it their fault. You know, I'm saying you don't because they're. Again, if you look and this is the thing as a millennial when you look at the gen z's live their life, you're like, oh, you're traveling. Huh, you just, you're so free. Huh, you're just living it up. Yeah, yeah, what's this? A prada bag, a mark jacobs tote? Like, what is that?
Speaker 2:uh seriously, uh, what's the other tote they'd be wearing? I don't you know, I don't know you know, I don't know the uh, the teflon.
Speaker 1:Is that what it is? Oh, I've heard of that.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, please okay, right they, they out here living it up and you're just looking like I know how much you make. Yeah, like, how are you doing this?
Speaker 1:okay, you what's it called um? Pay the pay as you go. What was that? Um? Or uh, what's that? What's that? After pay? You know, lord, yes, like, don't fool over them.
Speaker 2:They got corner. Okay, we had layaway, these people getting their stuff right there in their hands, like right now. You know, we had to leave our stuff at the store until you paid up.
Speaker 1:That's it, that's right. You know what I'm?
Speaker 2:saying they out here. They out here like, yeah, I went to coachella. Yeah, with what money do you pay rent? I'm right, you know it's wild and as a millennial and as a leader, you could be tempted to judge and to put on them. Well, I ain't traveling. How they get to travel you know I ain't. I don't, I'm not, I don't have the, the, the latest handbag or the, you know the cool clothes. I don't have coat shoes, yep you know how they got it, you know and and and it.
Speaker 2:And you are projecting, you are projecting, you are projecting. You got to be real about that. Now do they need some conversations about budgeting and maybe not living on credit?
Speaker 1:Absolutely they do when they invite you into it. When they invite you into it, yeah.
Speaker 2:But the conversations that you feel like is necessary for them. You can't have those until you're coming from a place of emotional maturity and security within yourself. I remember I worked in the elementary school. You talk about Gen Z. I was at the beginning, ok, I was, I was with him. I was with him in the trenches, ok, with third, fourth and fifth grade. And I remember I had one teacher. I had three teachers that were underneath me and two of them had their stuff. I mean, I'd leave them alone all day. Other the other one.
Speaker 2:She would call me to the classroom and be like he's making jokes about my weight and I just, and I'm like girl, you in a good, you in a title nine, this is you know what I'm saying. She's crying, yeah, yeah, you know. Yeah, because. Or it could be like a student says something about her hair and I'm like I get one. The student is wrong. I'm not detracting from that, but I need you to be able to handle it correct. You get what I'm Because they said something about me. They're like man, ms Ross, why your elbows, ashy?
Speaker 1:Why you can't read, Because see you got to check kids, Dang Ruth. Why you can't read, it's crazy. I'm just saying.
Speaker 2:I'm going to ask you to take that out. I don't want them people looking at my friends like that. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1:Y'all you know being like hey but look, sometimes you gotta check kids. I'm sorry. Y'all know I work with kids.
Speaker 2:Sometimes you gotta check them, gotta check them. Yeah, you got the.
Speaker 1:Angel Street shirt on. I love them kids. You can't be out here talking about kids like that. You know I love the kids, I love them to death.
Speaker 2:I used to be like why? I used to be like why? Your feet, ashy, Get back in line. You know what I'm saying? I'm unbothered. Ruth does love the kids, y'all.
Speaker 1:Ruth loves the kids.
Speaker 2:She's been working with them for 20 years Too long 20?
Speaker 1:Dang, that's probably true. Go ahead.
Speaker 2:Okay, anywho, no, but for real, you know, like, but felt I I was flustered for the kids because the kids was even like yo. Why are you tripping? You know what I'm saying like, you know, like you can't take a little jokey joke you know she would have never made it in them freedom writers movies oh you know she would have never made it in dangerous no, no, no, she'd have never made it in Dangerous Minds no no, no, she would have never made it.
Speaker 1:That's hilarious.
Speaker 2:Because you cannot go into a situation and I'm not saying that is not what it's like working with Gen Z every day but you have to be able, you have to be securing yourself, you have to be secure. When they say, when they look at you like no, I don't really want to hear what you got to say, Okay, I'm not bothered, I'm trying to help you, but you'll be back because I'm the one, I'm the one who got what you need.
Speaker 1:So I want to, I want to, I do want to land on this sensitivity because, um, that is a struggle for me. I am not, I'm not a I'm personally not a highly sensitive person and I struggle with highly sensitive people because, you know, I I especially in the workplace.
Speaker 1:She struggled with me. Y'all. I have Um, it's yeah, yes, yeah, my best friends are very sensitive. Um, not sensitive, I mean not sensitive, you're more. Okay, all right.
Speaker 1:So, but I struggle, I struggle honoring, sometimes, sensitivity, especially in the workplace, because it's like, hey, let's we just got to do it, let's get it done. Hey, let's we just gotta do it, let's just get it done. And it can feel like I have felt, like I have had to justify why working hard is necessary and why, like you know, explain, like, hey, you know I understand this is not convenient, but this is what we have to do. And I'm not understanding what the issue is here. Like, what are we struggling with? Like I, these are things I haven't always said it, but these are definitely things internally I've I have struggled with Like is, am I, am I, is it me, is, am I expecting too much? Like, no, like this is the job right and I think, um, to some degree, that level of, and then the I like, uh, sometimes, sometimes this is not all for by any means. I'm not generalizing, however um, because I would say this with young, with teenagers, like, so, like when we do um, we perform, and when they're in rehearsals and we have to, like, give them feedback.
Speaker 1:There are some, uh, there are some that just cannot take feedback. I mean, they just, they crumble, they just completely shut down to where it's like, well, I guess I can't, I can't do anything, I don't want to do it. I don't want to be pushed xyz and again that is not everybody, but it's enough to do it. I don't want to be pushed X, y, z, and again that is not everybody, but it's enough to where it's like man, like how do we, how do you handle? Cause there's there the workplace is is designed for certain things If you have the space to really pour into a person at that level, which I think at Angel Street, we have had that space before, but there are some places that that's just not part of the package.
Speaker 1:Like you just got to do what you got to do and if you can't handle feedback, then you just probably can't be here, like, because you're going to have to have, you have to get feedback, you're going to have to grow, you're going to be. There's going to be high demands for certain things. I mean, you know, in certain workplaces and everybody doesn't have understanding. You know, managers like you who, who want to really pour into a person but also may not have the space in their particular job environment to do that.
Speaker 1:Am I making sense so like that, that, that that tension of creativity not creativity of sensitivity and handling what seems to be a, you know, a generation who is more sensitive than generations before, which could be a strength, but in this case, in the workplace, I think sometimes it it does not always work in their favor and does not handle feedback very well. What are some ways that you can? Now? We talked about relationship, cool, so let's say I've built up the relationship to the point where I can do that. How? How do you work through giving feedback to young people that need that, need it, but may not have built up what's necessary to handle it, especially when they are, you know, when they're in in in high demand, high stress situations.
Speaker 2:Um, okay, so I, I think, I think I need to look at this from kind of a couple of different lenses. Um, because again I've, I've, I have kind of three subsets in my mind Right, like I have the, the, the, the, the baby, college student Right, which is kind of like my youngest demographic, that 18 year old. Then I have like the college graduate level, that 22 to 24.
Speaker 2:And then I have like these 25 to 27 year old who are more than capable of handling criticism and who are probably looking for it, who are like hey, tell me yeah, I want to be better, um, and I think that you know I, I think that you know I'm kind of built for Gen Z and the and the fact that I am not the most ambitious person and I think people, I feel like I always have to explain that because I'm a person who achieves, I'm not a person who's just like, hey, I'm just chilling out, maxing and whatever happens. I should have finished it and whatever happens, happens.
Speaker 2:I'm not that person, but I am a person who is not motivated by man. I need to get to the, you know, I need to do the things and I need to build the things, not motivated by it, but when it, you know. But I had to because I felt very different than everyone that was around me. I had to be intentional about understanding myself and I think, ruth Abigail, especially with you, and knowing kind of the age group you're working with. They don't know themselves yet. Yeah, that's a good point. You know, like, if you ask them, why are you crying? I don't know. I don't know. I feel feelings, I feel big feelings and I don't know how to manage this moment. Could it be they don't like criticism, or could it be they don't like criticism in front of other people?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, could it be, you know, they don't know how to manage. You know, maybe criticism to them leads to some sort of punishment. Right, I know, for me, I used to be really, really sensitive to criticism because I felt like criticism was going to lead to a painful or negative moment. Sure, Right, it was much less about what was being said that was bad about me, and much more about this is going to lead to some unwanted pain.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I am pain avoidant, yeah, and I think a lot of Gen Z they are pain avoidant, yeah, like they don't want to feel the pain of rejection or abandonment or to feel the pain of you know what if someone thinks I'm not good enough or I don't belong. You know, I watched the interview you did with the young lady was that probably last week or the last of the last episode? And that was one thing she said. She was like we're trying to figure out, you know, where do I belong? Where do I fit in? Yeah, and if they feel like they have found a place where they feel comfortable and they feel like, okay, maybe this is my spot, and then somebody says you're really not doing that, right, like okay, is the. Is the crying coming from from the? Okay, I can do better on this. Or is the crying coming from the? Okay, I can do better on this. Or is the crying coming from I don't feel I might not belong here, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a good point there is they are facing.
Speaker 2:The diversity in their age group is so much more vast than it was for us, than it was for us, like the diversity of how we understand ourselves as people, relationally, academically, just you know what I'm saying. We had identified areas. You know that's a jock, that's a nerd, that's a band geek. You know like there were like people fit into little pockets For them, the jock is also a band geek. You know like there were like people fit into little pockets For them, the job is also. The band geek is also a nerd, you know what I'm saying Every day broke the boxes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they did. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:They broke all the boxes and so for them, like this whole, and I mean eventually they broke the boxes. But when we learned we had to break the boxes, we were like boxes don't really serve us, and so we gave them a world without boxes. As millennials, we say, hey, guys, just want to let you know you don't need the boxes. Okay, you want to go to Comic-Con and be the football quarterback, you can do that. Okay, you can be a blurred? Okay, which is like the new term. You know, that's hilarious. A black nerd, you can be a blurred. That's fantastic. Yeah, it's a fun time, right, but and so and so, when it comes to this idea of identity, right, like, for us it was identity was much something less that we discovered than that we just kind of like well, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Like hey, I'm going to do this band thing, I'm going to be that.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm going to, I'm going to pursue this thing Right. For them, like, identity is something that they are constantly seeking after. Like who am I? What's my purpose? Where, what am I supposed to be doing? Where do I belong? Who can I? Who can I, you know? Who can I relate to? Who? Who will find value in me? Yeah, you get what I'm saying, and so I think it's important for us, as middle adults, to be really mindful that you may feel like you're having to handle them with kids gloves, but really they're facing challenges that you might not have been able to endure yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so real, you know like if you were faced with all of the endless choices and options yeah, and understandings that they were. Who would you be?
Speaker 1:yeah, no, what would you have?
Speaker 2:done? Yeah, would you been able to work through it? Right, but we have, especially as middle adults, I just you know, I think in one, in one episode or one season, I really encourage middle adults, like, in some way, you need to be giving back to the generation that's coming, because we are the ones, we're the ones called to them, yeah and so, but you're gonna have to come at it, talk about. Another thing you're gonna need is humility, because they will humble you. Yes, they are a mirror. They are a mirror, it's true. They will look at you and you will. You will see everything you need to work on, yeah, and if you don't see that when you talking to them, please just go ahead and go on to your next task. Maybe, maybe that ain't for you. Yeah, right, because because they are so sincere and honest, you know they really not trying to tell you something that they don't believe, because they're trying to figure out what they believe.
Speaker 1:I think that it's the it's the it's the figuring out that is, you know.
Speaker 2:Where's on your patience?
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I won't say where's on my patients, but I think, like realizing that in order to cultivate this younger generation, particularly in the workplace, you have to, you have to walk with them through those moments and it's like they are figuring it out. They're figuring themselves out. They're having to filter through so much more than we ever had to, so it's going to take longer and it's not. They're not going to be as secure because every time you fit, you find, you find it. There's something in your face that's having you ask another question and it's like those are not, those are not things that we had to deal with growing up. This is the. This is the first generation that has that their, their world. Has they started off in a digitized world where it is beyond their real life world, like it. They start off there. So you know they are their, their brains have been cultivated to consume they have iPads as toddlers.
Speaker 1:I mean, and exposed to everything. So immediately your brain is having to be like in its building phase. It's having to filter through a million different things as it's being built and it's like, you know, there's no settle, there's no stability, there's no like, nothing is slow, right, it's everything. So we talk about, you know, this anxious generation. They were born into anxiety just because when you, when you, when you're born with a screen in your hand, all it's doing is is just creating these different you know it's doing to your brain. What, what, what screens do?
Speaker 1:Constant activity causes anxiety. You have to, you have to be able to slow down and that's not how they, they are not putting that situation. The environment that they're born into is not slow, it's fast, everything's fast and so, um. So I think what I've seen is that because they grow up in that kind of environment, they have grown up in that environment when life does not happen as fast as they're used to seeing it happen, they get frustrated. And now I don't know what I'm doing and I have to make all these decisions, like today, and I don't, you know, and now I'm stressed out because I don't know and I don't have the money and I don't have the knowledge. X, y, z, and you know nobody's listening to me.
Speaker 2:And now everything's a big deal because their brains have not had an option to just be quiet for a minute, yeah, and when we go back to the characteristics that you need in order to lead them, or lead with them is you have to be a place of security.
Speaker 2:Yeah Right, like they, you know, I think, something that we may do too much. You know, even in as close as I am to my students, um, to their, they really are like my kids. Their moms called me their college mom, um, and at first I resisted it, but now I, just, you just got to take it. You know, I went to one of their graduations and a student, one of his friends, came up and said yo, is this your mom? And he looked at me for a moment like kind of you know you could say that and I was like, yeah, you could.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You definitely could, because these are mine. But you know, I I realized that I was not going to be able to protect them from seeing my growth. So I had to decide what was I going to do with what they saw? Right, so, as they saw me learning how to navigate you know, new terrain and new situations, because I was new in my role, right? So they were watching me figure it out. Yeah, right, what was I going to do with that? Was I going to be like, see, because I know what I'm doing? Yeah, no, they see that you don't always know what you do.
Speaker 2:So how am I teaching them?
Speaker 2:By using my own experiences as a hey, do you see how I'm navigating this new space? Do you see how I'm using? You know, my resources? I'm calling people that are good at this. I'm sitting now. They saw me humble and getting instruction and wisdom and using it. You know what I'm saying. I became a working example, for this is how you navigate tough situations. And so, even now, today, whenever I just was on the phone with one of them yesterday and I was like you know, I'm going through something new now and I have so much more to teach you because of it and because I don't come off as the, I got it all figured out. So let me tell you what you need to know. But I'm I have said hey, I'm walking my own journey and as I learn, I'm going to, I'm going to learn, I'm going to send it back to you whatever I get.
Speaker 2:We all know I'm ahead. I'm old, right, I better be ahead. I'm 15 years older than you. You know, sometimes 20 years older than you. If I'm not ahead, what are we doing here? You know what I'm saying, what you been doing for 20 years, right, right, chilling Like no, right? So we all know I'm ahead of you. But the issue with whether or not you are going to get their follow ship is how you treat them when you look back at them. Treat them when you look back at them. Are you looking back and looking down? Are you looking back and saying you're going to be here one day? Let me show you what you need to know. That's right. Let me give you what you need so that when you get to this spot in your life, you have it.
Speaker 1:I'm going to, I'm going to ask you a kind of a final wrap up question, because I would love for you to pinpoint the care because, again, we're not generalizing, but we also need to acknowledge that every person, in any generation, there's there. There are, um, certain characteristics about people that have to be true for what you're saying to work Right. And so what, what? What are the key characteristics in people who are, who are in Gen Z, who are in the workplace that you have, you've seen, that are worth, that's worth pouring into?
Speaker 2:right. Yeah, they, they are actually brilliant. Their ability to create ideas and visions for the future is unmatched because, again, they don't have those boxes. So the way that they are able to like, put their genius on the future, like and create something that we haven't seen before, right, like, you have to be open to it because it's changed, right, and it's going to be different, right, but it allows for there to be more future. If we keep going the way we're going, with the future all boxed into the you got to do this and A plus, this will get you there we're going to run out of options. Yeah, they have the options, that of options. They have the options. That's good. They have the next package. They're like the. I'm not saying it like this because I feel like, if Gen Z listen to it, they're going to be like yeah, but they're the upgrade.
Speaker 1:They're the hey With this upgrade.
Speaker 2:We have all these new features. That's Gen Z. They're the upgrade millennials. I know we wanted to be the upgrade we were at some point at some point.
Speaker 2:But now Gen Z has come and who knows what Alpha gonna do? Listen, that ain't my problem right now. That's somebody else. Gen Z, get, get ready.
Speaker 2:But you know, recognize that when you have Gen Z on your team, in some kind of way they're going to make you better, because they're literally going to look at you and say all of this can be better. To be honest, that is the thing when we talk about kind of the give and take of relationships. That is the thing that my mentees, my babies, that's what they do for me. Every single one of them, make me better in some way. One of them, rudy.
Speaker 2:I call her my little lump of sugar, my sugar, she. Oh, my goodness, every beauty trend, every Miss Ross. You need this lotion. Oh, my goodness, every beauty trend, every Miss Ross, you need this lotion. You need this spray. You need to put this in your hair. You need to wear these clothes. Listen, all right, but my skin is soft and supple because I follow her routines. Okay, I got a little glow. Okay, because I listen to her, because she's actually better at it and I used to be. I'm really, you know, into that stuff, but somehow she knows more. She knows more TikTok. That's where they get all the information from. If you want to get some information to Gen Z, put it on TikTok. Stop putting it on.
Speaker 2:Facebook. They not looking your long deep statuses, they don't care. Okay, make a tiktok reel, put a dance to it and a song, all right and they will hear you.
Speaker 1:It's the facts, if you ain't no.
Speaker 2:But respect the fact that they are the upgrade and and every generation will be the upgrade for what we need. They have the package to the things that nobody else can answer and you have to give them. You know how they say let them cook. You got to let them cook, you got to let them work. If they say, hey, we want to sing this song or we want to do this thing, y'all sing. If y'all want to see something funny, go look at angel streets page and see ruth abigail with the children as they direct her on how to be cool. Okay, right, like, but we need them. You got you, yeah. Yeah. You're not going to be able to innovate, you're not going to be able to serve the future without them, period.
Speaker 1:So, okay, they're the upgrade, so they're, they're they. You know the. They create creative ideas. What, what other characteristics of Gen Z in the workplace is? Do you have you seen? Okay, these, these folks that have been on my team, they have this and that's worth cultivating.
Speaker 2:They're hungry, they want to grow, they realize, and they realize they don't have the answers. They don't come in with that sense of pride that I feel like millennials had, where we were kind of like, step aside the millennials are here.
Speaker 1:We got it.
Speaker 2:Y'all weren't here when technology came out.
Speaker 1:I don't know what y'all was doing.
Speaker 2:All right, you wrote your papers. You know online paper All right, get out of here. We took typing classes, you know, like, you know, we kind of came in with that energy. Gen Z comes in and they're like hey, I'm anxious, I'm stressed, I don't understand, I don't know who I am, I don't know what I'm looking for, but when they find it, they're sure. So they're curious, they're engaged, they are.
Speaker 2:And you know what else about Gen Z that I love is that when it finally clicks, they lock in. Yeah, they lock in when it clicks, like when they're like, okay, I found some truth, I'm with it. Right, I found the thing I've been looking for. Let's go Right Like they. I have seen them especially, you know. I've been, uh, you know, because I hear a lot of people talking about how college students today like what, what the faith landscape looks like for young adults, yeah, and I'm like y'all, I'm here and I'm looking at it every day and these people are finding the Lord. They are and they are, and they are navigating it at a level of truth and sincerity that I haven't seen before, because when they, when they grasp it, they lock in at a level of truth and sincerity that I haven't seen before, because when they grasp it, they lock in. They're like all right, we found the truth, we ain't fooled up with this other stuff, no more. That's right.
Speaker 2:They lock in and they hold everyone accountable for what they found. They are the line holders. They are the standard. Yeah, they are, they are. They are the line holders. They are the standard bearers. Yeah, they are like no, what you're doing ain't right. And that's why I said they're a mirror, because to them, everything that they get is precious, everything that they get about who they are and what they're called to do and what purpose is. They hold on to it so tight and they hold everybody else accountable. Who said that? They, that they too, know the truth about anything. They say okay, well, you told me this, so why are you doing that? Yes, they will. They are. They will hold you accountable and they will force you to walk in a straight line. Yeah, they will force you to be who you said that you are. I also think that they are. They are not tied to old systems. They create new ones.
Speaker 2:They do yeah, and so they're risk takers. Yeah, they're risk takers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which, which we need to invite into our old systems because they they need to be, they need to be upgraded. Yeah, you know, to use your term, what, what is all right, as we're wrapping up, what is is there. Is there another final piece of advice that you would give people who manage Gen Z that you haven't said?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say, um, as you are working with Gen Z, I think, um, really be straightforward, you know, be honest and don't don't try to uh, don't try to pander, do not try to pander. I think that that's something I see too, and I think when they realize that you're pandering, that's where the distrust comes, because I think it's a lot of people who are like, oh yeah, like you're cool and you're hip and we love Gen Z, and they're like, but you won't tell them the truth, you won't help to make them better. They sincerely want to be made better yeah, like they sincerely want that. They don't, but they don't want to be ridiculed and they don't want to be pandered to yeah. Which means, if you are going to work with them, you have got to find security within yourself and you have to be genuine. If you're not going to be able to do that, then they're going to find somewhere else that feels safe. They are looking for safe places where it feels like the storm can't reach them, in that place, so that they have a moment to breathe and understand and figure out where all of their ideas and thoughts and desires have a place to land.
Speaker 2:And so, if you are going to work with them. You have to be. You got to be a straight shooter and not a straight shooter Like I'm going to tell you exactly how it is and I don't care about your feelings, but you got to be honest. You got to say, hey, I know you dealing with this, I see exactly what you're doing and it's not right. You have to be able to be that person and you got to also be the person. Just to Ruth's point earlier you got to be a person that can stand a few tears.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You got to because you let me tell you something they're going to cry. They coming, they coming. Them tears is coming, yep, them tears is coming and I'm not a cry, actually y'all I be crying now I be crying.
Speaker 1:It comes. It really does. Let me get these tears out real quick. Just be for real, just be honest. I like that. Be a straight shooter. Don't pander. I love that.
Speaker 2:I think that's spot on, don't try to be cool, don't do that.
Speaker 1:I'm a cool mom.
Speaker 2:No, you're not. Don't try to be cool.
Speaker 1:I didn't wear cool mom. No, you're not. No, you're not. No, you're not, you're not. Don't try to be cool, be you know, don't.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't. I didn't wear cool shoes and I was like look at Miss Ross with her uncool shoes. Exactly, Don't care.
Speaker 1:Okay, let me help your life. Let me pour into you. Okay, that's right. No cool shoes. Well, thank you, Jaquita, for this incredible insight. I hope that you all have taken away some things that is important to unlearn about this generation, particularly in the workplace. And yeah, so we are in wrapping up this series and the next time you hear from us, you will hear us both me and Queda, middle adults we are Queda. Our next series is on leadership. We're talking about leadership yeah, types. Leadership types.
Speaker 2:Okay, y'all lock into this. This is going to be good, this is good. Okay, and I really, you know, listen to all of the episodes because I think each of them have some wisdom, but we really want you to try to lock in on your particular leadership style Correct Because I think it can free us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it can. It has freed me, and you'll hear them say you'll hear you know Quida talk about how I see myself in all of them, and you'll understand why, when you listen to the series, don't roll your eyes, um and so uh, but yeah, so we're excited about that coming up. So y'all make sure to tune in, um, but y'all and two.
Speaker 2:Uh well, we're gonna like, we're gonna like share, subscribe, hey, hey, hey, come on the community, because we're not I'm gonna interview you, go ahead yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, that's all right, it's cool. You know, um, the people know you. So we are not going to keep this to ourselves, guys. We are going to pass this along, especially if you have people that work with this generation. I really do think this is an important conversation we have to continue to have, not just for us, but for them, because they need us to be our best, if you work with this generation and if you have kids in this generation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you have kids or if you mentor young people like they need us to be our best and so like this will help us to do that, and part of being your best is unlearning some things that you need to unlearn. So we want to help you do that. Make sure you're passing it along. But, guys, until then, we're going to keep unlearning together so that we can experience more freedom, and we will see y'all next week. Peace. Thank you once again for listening to the Unlearned Podcast. We would love to hear your comments and your feedback about the episode. Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and to let us know what you think. We're looking forward to the next time, when we are able to unlearn together to move forward towards freedom. See you then.
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