(Source: Nurturing Generation Z: Going Beyond Stereotypes and Misconceptions by Didi Manahan, Head and

Co-Founder of Keys School Manila Inc.

“Highly Connected”, “Thrive on Acceleration”, and “Independent” are some of the

words that describe Gen Z. This makes them a driving force quickly replacing Millennials
in the Digital Age.

#1 Nurture the Growth Mindset and Maker Attitude

(Source: Nurturing Generation Z: Going Beyond Stereotypes and Misconceptions by Didi Manahan, Head and
Co-Founder of Keys School Manila Inc.)

It is critical to have a Growth Mindset or the belief that Intelligence and Talent can go
up and down (versus a Fixed Mindset where Intelligence and Talent are supposedly
determined at birth).

We need to nurture the Maker Attitude inherent in Gen Z to create, do, and tangibly
make a difference.

#2 Hyper-Empowered
 (Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with
the Zs by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

If Millennials are empowered, Zentennials are Hyper-empowered because of the

borderless and connected world they live in, with endless possibilities and opportunities in
the YouTube and E-commerce era.
#3 Key Questions You Need to Address

(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the Zs
by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Gen Z-ers have 5 basic questions that the parents and family need to address directly–
Identity, Belonging, Competence,Security, and Purpose. Otherwise, they will turn to technology
and the digital culture for answers, which is unhealthy and inauthentic.
#4 Video First
“Gen Z is not just Mobile first, they’re Video First. They learn about New Products from Vlogs
(51%) and Websites (47%).”

Zentennials believe that:

• “Gaming is not just a Game, it’s a Way of Life”
• “Gaming is a Safe Environment to Hone Different Skills”
• “Gaming is about competing and collaborating with people who share the same passion”
#5 Addiction and Reality
Watch out for Boys: Video Gaming Addiction; Watch out for Girls: Blurring of Virtual World
with Reality
(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the Zs
by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Video Games are as addicting as drugs. Gamers are 4x more likely to be addicted and the
vulnerable stage is 8-9 years old.

Raising Gen Z 090917-41.jpg

(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the Zs by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior
Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Make sure to distinguish the Digital World vs. the Real World and continue to build
connections offline.
 Raising Gen Z 090917-38.jpg
(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the Zs
by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Watch out for these 7 signs that your kids are starting to get addicted to games or social
media.

Raising Gen Z 090917-65.jpg(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the
Zs by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Creating healthy offline relationships and having a barkada are very important!
 Raising Gen Z 090917-58.jpg
(Source: The Gen Z Profiler: Understanding their Psyche, Building their Character and Connecting with the Zs by Chelet Tanjuatco, Senior
Consultant, Acumen Brand Strategy)

Build a Reading Habit early on to develop resilience and patience to combat against gaming
and online addiction.
The Coder Generation

(Source: Born Digital! by Cris Tagle, Chief Executive Officer, Zynappse Corporation)

Gen Z was born into the world of Google, Facebook, YouTube, Uber, Spotify, iPhone, and
iWatch.
We are the social media capital of the world in terms of consumption, but we need to turn
it around to be the social media capital of the world in terms of production by learning how
to code and produce content.
“Code Stars”, a short film starring Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, will.i.am, Chris Bosh, Jack
Dorsey, Tony Hsieh, Drew Houston, Gabe Newell, Ruchi Sanghvi, Elena Silenok, Vanessa
Hurst, and Hadi Partovi.
Did you know that there will be 1.4 Million Jobs in Computer Science in the next 10 years
and only about 400,000 graduates are qualified for those jobs?

Non-Negotiables and Parenting with God

The key to a happy life with a Zentennial is to agree on the Non-Negotiables and give them
the freedom to create their own world.
Remember, that we have our Parent above helping us in raising our Gen Z kids and
molding them to be the greatest generation of all time!

Thank you to all the parents, educators, marketers, and speakers for unselfishly
sharing their knowledge and expertise to make this a historically significant event!
The Zentennials
MA. ADAVIEVE MELLA

Zentennials or Gen Z were born in the mid 90s to 2010. They are technology-oriented and
technology-driven, because after all, they grew up along with the influx of modern
technology. They are surrounded by facilities that allow easy access to information, and
they are clueless about life before Spotify, Facebook, or Google. They know how to get
around with life by viewing life hack videos on YouTube. Their desire to use technology
varies as they progress from age to age. Boredom is not in their vocabulary, because right
at their fingertips, they can connect with people, music, food, fashion, and places across the
globe.
Sometimes, we, who belong to older generations, feel undermined by Gen Z because they are
more mobile, progressive, and most of all, adept at manipulating technologies. Although
come to think of it, Zentennials have full potentials in boosting businesses, for instance. They
can promote media exposure of businesses through the use of technology. Mr. Cris Tagle’s
talk on “Born Digital” tells us that this new generation will make use of technology more than
ever because of their burgeoning interest to discover related skills, like coding, for example.
He further reiterates that Gen Z will be interested in accepting jobs related to market
research or trend forecasting, so this calls for business enterprises to simultaneously cope
with the rise of modern tech to be able to provide jobs for the growing new generation.

“Kids getting older younger.”

This is my favorite quote shared by Chelet Tanjuatco. As a mother of Zentennials and a

teacher of college students, she gets to be in contact with these “kids getting older younger.”
Kids these days are very opinionated. With information overload, they acquire larger-than-
life ideas and form different opinions, question rules, and endlessly seek answers. Hence,
they can carry along mature conversations. As parents and educators, we play our part by
supervising them in sifting valid information and in using reliable resources.

Gen Z kids seem to be distant

They’re physically present, but their minds seem to wander off because ideas infinitely
stream their minds. However, parents and educators should not give up on them. They need
supervision more than ever, particularly in decision-making and in pursuing their passions.

Older generations shouldn’t feel threatened by Gen Z.

Acknowledgement is the key to build healthy relationships with this new breed. After all,
they will take charge of the future once we leave this earth. They have full potentials in
sustaining and promoting growth of industries and economies. Technology is advancing day
by day, and Gen Z kids take interest in them because, after all, they grew up with it!

To my fellow millennials or Gen Y peeps, don’t fret. We have made our mark in history. We
raised the bar of awesomeness. We have Mark Zuckerberg, for instance. Gen Y witnessed and
encountered different transition phases and advancements in media and telecom (hello
internet, iPhone and Facebook). We have had wonderful childhood memories that shaped
our attitudes and aided formation of values (remember how we played in the streets?).
Furthermore, we withstood all the changes, embraced them even, and proud to say that
despite conflicts that emerged during our era, many great values have still remained intact,
and are passed on to the new generation.
Let’s welcome the Zentennials and pray that they’d be a better bunch. Being optimistic in
general is a millennial trait, so let’s acknowledge the Gen Z. Personally, I acknowledge their
solid identity. Zentennial kids can easily and solidly identify themselves as people who grew
up along with technology. It is a good thing, because in our lifetime, there’s a group of people
who can continue previous efforts in building and advancing modern technology or
continuing our values, and perhaps with proper guidance from us, the older generations,
positive changes can take place.

Whether you’re a head teacher, a senior or middle leader or a corporate executive, as a

leader, you set the tone and model the behaviour for the culture you want to create in your
organisation. To do this you have to ask yourself: What do I value most? What is my natural
leadership style? How can I use my natural talents to benefit the organisation and my
colleagues?

Everyone has their own leadership style. Some take a modern servant leadership approach
and focus on developing their teams; others are charismatic leaders who inspire their
teams to take action. The good news is that these styles are not mutually exclusive and the
best leaders adapt based on the needs of their work and the people they’re leading.

Let’s explore some of the most common styles in modern organisations.

1. Servant: The servant leader is one who truly cares about the needs of their employees.
Iconic leaders of nonviolent movements for civil disobedience such as Mahatma Ghandi,
Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela could all be considered examples of servant
leadership. However, millennials have a strong preference for modern servant leaders who
take genuine interest in both their professional and personal development, and are willing
to become mentors.

2. Innovative: Innovative leaders are big picture thinkers who are willing to shake things
up to achieve the desired outcome. Many of the most iconic and innovative leaders of today
are in the tech industry but there are plenty of others across a wide range of industries,
from fashion to education. What do innovators have in common? They have no patience for
stagnation. They like to take stock of processes, and when something isn’t working
innovators are willing to try new things and find something that does.

3. Pace Setting: Pace setters are visionaries who set the pace not just for their
organisations but for the direction of their entire industry. They dream big and inspire
those around them to take action to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Where the
servant leader focuses more on people development, pace setters are often more
demanding in their quest to do things better and faster. Still, the people who thrive most
under pace setters are those who work well under tremendous pressure, are self-
motivated, and need little direction for execution on big picture ideas.

4. Charismatic: These leaders inspire the people around them to greatness. They have a
“let’s do it together” attitude and use the power of personality to inspire passion and action
in others. Much like innovators and pace setters, charismatic leaders are often visionaries;
however, sometimes they drop the ball when it comes to execution. These leaders need the
balance of others around them who can execute on big ideas and get things done.

5. Laisse Faire: People who adopt a laisse faire leadership style are usually excellent at
delegating. They know how to communicate their vision, and prefer to give their teams the
tools they need and the space to get it done. Laisse faire leaders often like to surround
themselves with a highly-skilled, self-motivated team they don’t have to manage too
closely. People who need more guidance and direct mentorship don’t usually thrive under
this leadership style. However, laisse faire leaders believe the members of their team to be
capable, and the expectation that people can and will do what they say what they do can be
a proving ground for new leader

Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) has been profoundly shaped in an
immersive social context, and one where they are not only consumers but contributors
and co-creators, and have been from the youngest of ages.
If you are in a position of leadership, chances are you are currently, or will soon be, leading
Gen Zs in your teams and organisations. As such, understanding the leadership styles that
these Post-Millennials best respond to and follow can help you as you seek to attract,
engage and retain talented and motivated young people in your setting.
While strongly hierarchical, top-down models of leadership might have worked in the
previously in different settings, old models and approaches that gained traction in past eras
are no longer gaining currency or attaining cut through in this redefined social context with
emerging generations.
From interviews conducted with over 100 Gen Zs, we found that the emerging generations
appreciate leaders who are able to:
Relate
Create
Release
RELATE
For an immensely social generation, relationships are of the highest importance for Gen Z,
and are viewed as being central to effective leadership. The function of leadership is deeply
founded in relationships, being marked by vision, courage, and the capacity to inspire
others to follow.
Gen Z are looking for leaders who are real, authentic, relational and genuine. They are
quickly disenchanted by leaders they perceive to be fake, superior, or out-of-reach. They
crave an authentic connection with their leaders, rather than a distant, removed authority
figure who takes no interest in them and does not ‘speak their language’.
CREATE
Gen Z are looking for leaders who actively create an engaging culture. Culture is the
environment and lived reality that is created in an organisation; it fills the gap between
what is announced and what is actually experienced.
A culture which will facilitate greater engagement from Gen Z is one where they feel safe to
be known, contribute and learn. A leader who will effectively engage Gen Z will build on
listening and facilitate a culture where people are encouraged to contribute ideas and
solutions, rather than having their ideas shut down or be limited to simply completing
tasks.
When building multigenerational teams and leading Gen Z, leaders who listen to the input
of others will not only be more informed but will gain the trust and respect of team
members. This approach will bring out the best of each team member and often open a
door for reciprocal interactions, as people are much more likely to listen to leaders who
have listened to the followers.
RELEASE
Gen Z are looking for leaders to set an example with their lives worth emulating, who have
a focus on empowering and releasing others to fulfil their potential. Leaders can motivate
and inspire Gen Zs by communicating high expectations to their followers and inspiring
them to be committed and part of the shared vision of the organisation, through their own
example.
Empowering and transformative leaders understand that the greatest asset in their
organisation is the people. That the greatest potential, ideas, innovations and possibilities
reside in the minds and hearts of those in their team.s
Whilst Gen Z have been told repeatedly that they abound with potential, and have a desire
for self-actualisation and to make a difference, it is not possible for this to be discovered
and achieved on their own. Transformational leadership that is empowering requires
perceptive, committed, older leaders to identify the specific gifts, talents, skills and
interests of their Gen Z team members, invest in them, build on their strengths, identify any
untapped potential, and instill in them a confidence to go beyond their comfort zones.
Based on extracts from the book Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials.
Hello Gen Z
Hello Gen Z is the new book from Claire Madden, Australia's foremost social researcher on
generational engagement.
With a foreword by Bernard Salt, this book will help organisations, educators, leaders and
parents understand what has shaped this extraordinary group of young people. Order a
copy of the book here. Bulk order discounts are also available.

How well are our 19th Century Institutions connecting with 21st Century Students?
‘Schools are 19th Century institutions using 20th Century buildings to teach 21st Century
students and we wonder why traditional education sometimes struggle to connect. So if they
don’t learn the way we teach, then let’s teach the way we learn.’ – Mark McCrindle
The children of Australia are today’s students and tomorrow’s employees. And while each
generation has passed through the student lifestage, Generation Z are the only ones to have
done so in the 21st Century. They can be defined as being post-linear, post-literate, and
post-logical.
They have been born into a time that has seen the printed word morph into an electronic
form. Ironically, today an electronic document is perceived to have more currency, and
therefore accuracy, than the printed page. Books give way to YouTube videos. The written
word is replaced by icons and images. Education is shifting from structured classrooms to
collaborative means, from textbooks to tablets and from reports to infographics and video
presentations. Words in this global era are progressively replaced with symbols or
universal icons. They have been labelled generation glass because it is this medium that
communicates content: glass you don’t just look through but look at, and wear and carry
and interact with.
72% of Gen Z’s feel that parents are responsible for children’s well-being, with only 16%
pointing the blame at government policies and initiatives. Gen Z’s state:
“Parents are a big role model to their children, who want to be just like them. The poor habits
of parents (i.e. drugs, smoking), rubs off onto children.”
“Parents are responsible as children are often too young to know what is right and wrong.”
“Everything starts at home – if parenting skills are not there a child’s education is at risk.”

Characteristics of today’s learners

Post linear
While schools structure learning by subject, Generations Z live life in a hyperlinked world.
For digital natives it is not a subject but a lifestyle. Teachers deliver formal lessons, yet
students are experiential and participative. We test academic knowledge and memory in
examinations yet they, with the always-on Internet, are living in an open-book world, only
ever a few clicks away from any piece of information on the planet.
Generation Z and the emerging Generation Alpha are also the most technologically literate
and socially empowered generation of children ever. They are highly intuitive and
confident users of digital technology, with Facebook having been around more than a
decade, and iPhones, iPads, apps and social media having been available to them from their
formative years.
There are 4.5 million reasons to engage Generation Z, the students of today and university
graduates, employees and leaders of tomorrow. What’s more, the future of education
depends on understanding and engaging with these 21st century learners. In order to fulfil
the demand for labour and to ensure the future of our employment sector, our education
system will need to adapt to and accommodate the learning styles of today’s students.
Post literate
Note we use the term post-literate, not illiterate. They are writing more (emails) and
sending more (text) messages, just in ways different to previous generations. The issue is
that literate forms of communication alone just won’t connect in today’s visual world.
Today’s learners are a multi-modal generation and therefore demand communication
styles that engage multiple learning channels. While the chalk and talk teaching approach
was the only style on offer in previous generations, this structured approach to classroom
communication is far less engaging for today’s technologically savvy, multi-media, post-
structured learners. Though many complain about the short attention spans of today’s
youth, this is mainly exhibited in the context of old methods of teaching that largely involve
passive models of communication.
Post logical
The language of today’s learners is one that communicates content as well as being
exciting, social and creative. They value visual and interactive communication with quick
and easy access to information. This is in distinct contrast to perception of the education
system where learning and fun are seen as mutually exclusive. Learning must not just be an
academic exercise- of logic and rationale, but a development experience- of social,
emotional and visceral connection as well. The point is that students have changed, so
approaches to teaching need to change as well.
Engaging with today’s learners
It is excellent to see that schools and classrooms are responding effectively to these
changing learning styles through the implementation of learning stations, shifting from
‘teacher’ to facilitator’, managing more group work, providing real world case studies,
outdoor education and teaching through activity-based learning. This, to the credit of
schools is how they’ve been able to engage with changing learner needs while maintaining
educational excellence. That said, there are still more changes to be made. According to our
survey on parents’ opinions on education, over 90 per cent would like to see schools work
harder at engaging with students and making learning interesting.
Traditionally, children were pre-formatted to learn within a structured environment,
having spent their preschool years in a household where formative character was set
through routine, compliance and training. However, increasingly, many children enter
formal schooling without such a background and when such a student does not complete
year 12, it is said that ‘they failed school’ when actually ‘their school experience failed
them’.
While in the past parents, extended family, Sunday school and the Scouts or sports teams
all had a role in developing the character, values and socialisation skills of the child, today
parents are juggling increasingly complex roles and the average young person is less
connected with other formative institutions. Schools are increasingly the one social
bottleneck through which young people pass and so have a key role of developing the
whole person. That is, in addition to its academic aims, the education system is expected to
develop people skills, character formation, life skills and resilience.
The four R’s
Real
Not only must our communication style be credible, but we must be credible also. This
generation doesn’t expect us to know all about their lifestyle, nor do they want us to
embrace their culture. They are simply seeking understanding and respect. If we are less
than transparent, it will be seen.
Relevant
Both the content and style in which we deliver it must be relevant to a generation which is
visually educated and entertained. There is no point in going to a friend’s movie night with
a rented DVD if they only have a streaming service. Similarly, we must communicate in the
most appropriate format for those we are reaching. So in understanding the
communication styles of our students we will be better equipped to reach them.
Responsive
Education can either be teacher-centric (traditional), curriculum targeted (with a
predominate focus on state-wide testing) or learner focused (responsive to their learning
styles and needs).
In a generation education has moved from ‘classes’ to individual learning plans. As part of
the shift from students confirming to the system to education responding to the changing
times, needs and learners.
Relational
The old saying in education circles still rings true for today’s students: ‘they don’t care how
much you know until they know how much you care!’ Communicating to this generation
requires more than just good content and new technology – it needs engagement and
involvement. The more we create an environment conductive to engaging with the head
(knowledge), hands (application) and heart (inspiration), the more likely they learning will
be embedded, opportunities enlarged and futures shaped.

The pervasive use of technology is likely the most obvious characteristic of Generation Z,
and it's a characteristic the generation shares with the Millennials.
Members of Generation Z live their lives online, and they love sharing both the intimate and
mundane details of life, whether that be their relationship status, a restaurant review or an
Instagram photo of themselves lounging on the beach.
Seemiller cited research that found about 50 percent of Generation Z members will send at
least 50 texts each day. Read that slowly: 50 texts a day.
"They love to contribute their knowledge and opinions online," Seemiller said, citing
research that found 8 percent of Gen Z members use Twitter while 93 percent use YouTube
to view, upload and comment on videos.
"They like to engage in the co-construction of knowledge; they don't like to just be
recipients of communication," Seemiller said. "They do that to feel good about themselves.
They find that sharing online is entertaining, and they like to learn new things that way."
Generation Z tends not to use blogs, detests emailing and avoids voice messaging. Why?
"Too many words," Seemiller said, citing research indicating that the current generation is
especially fond of "short communication bursts."
While members of Generation Z are all about sharing, when they do so via social media
they like to keep it on point and brief.
Generation Z and Millennials – Not the Same Thing
"Here we are, just figuring out Millennials and one blatant misconception is that Generation
Z is just an extension of Millennials," Seemiller said.
While both Generation Z and Millennials are collaborative, tech-savvy and socially engaged,
major differences do exist.
For example, Millennials are known to be very reward-oriented. For Gen Z, gratuitous pats
on the back are not as important; they do not generally desire that type of endorsement,
Seemiller said. "They are more of a humble crew."
Also, unlike Millennials, Gen Z tends to be a bit less rebellious. You can see that in their
interactions with their parents, Seemiller said. "They tend to follow authority because they
respect their parents."
But, as noted below, that does not mean that they do not question established rules,
regulations and traditions.
Generation Z + Parents = Besties

The pervasive use of technology is likely the most obvious characteristic of Generation Z,
and it's a characteristic the generation shares with the Millennials.
Members of Generation Z live their lives online, and they love sharing both the intimate and
mundane details of life, whether that be their relationship status, a restaurant review or an
Instagram photo of themselves lounging on the beach.
Seemiller cited research that found about 50 percent of Generation Z members will send at
least 50 texts each day. Read that slowly: 50 texts a day.
"They love to contribute their knowledge and opinions online," Seemiller said, citing
research that found 8 percent of Gen Z members use Twitter while 93 percent use YouTube
to view, upload and comment on videos.
"They like to engage in the co-construction of knowledge; they don't like to just be
recipients of communication," Seemiller said. "They do that to feel good about themselves.
They find that sharing online is entertaining, and they like to learn new things that way."
Generation Z tends not to use blogs, detests emailing and avoids voice messaging. Why?
"Too many words," Seemiller said, citing research indicating that the current generation is
especially fond of "short communication bursts."
While members of Generation Z are all about sharing, when they do so via social media
they like to keep it on point and brief.
Generation Z and Millennials – Not the Same Thing
"Here we are, just figuring out Millennials and one blatant misconception is that Generation
Z is just an extension of Millennials," Seemiller said.
While both Generation Z and Millennials are collaborative, tech-savvy and socially engaged,
major differences do exist.
For example, Millennials are known to be very reward-oriented. For Gen Z, gratuitous pats
on the back are not as important; they do not generally desire that type of endorsement,
Seemiller said. "They are more of a humble crew."
Also, unlike Millennials, Gen Z tends to be a bit less rebellious. You can see that in their
interactions with their parents, Seemiller said. "They tend to follow authority because they
respect their parents."
But, as noted below, that does not mean that they do not question established rules,
regulations and traditions.
Generation Z + Parents = Besties

Remember when we mentioned authority earlier?

While Gen Z members do appear to have more of an appreciation for authority figures, such
as their parents, that does not mean that they do not critically consider established rules
and traditions.
In fact, Generation Z is hugely concerned with sociopolitical issues, locally and globally.
They tend to be acutely aware that they live in pluralistic society and tend to embrace
diversity.
"They are incredibly open-minded, respectful and tolerant of others," Seemiller said. "And
they expect to see diversity around them."
For Generation Z, "cultural difference" means more than race or gender-based variation.
This translates directly into how they engage in service.
"Because of the power of social networking and the Internet, they are incredibly aware of
what is going on around them in the world," Seemiller said. "They are incredibly connected
in that sense and are more aware that there are a lot of social justice issues and other deep-
seated problems."
So don't expect that Gen Z will show up to your bake sale with wholehearted enthusiasm
merely because there is a social service component. This generation wants to tackle serious
problems at the root, Seemiller said.
"They have to have an emotional connection to a problem and feel like they are addressing
the problem, not the symptoms. I see this as a generational shift. They want it to count for
something; they want to delve much deeper into the problem."
Expectations for the Future
Generation Z tends to be less optimistic about their futures than their older counterparts.
Why? This is the generation that has seen the U.S. and other nations enter war after war
and has seen one of the most devastating economic declines in modern world history.
Generation Z is aware of increasing college costs with unprecedented rates of loan defaults
and huge unemployment rates in the current century.
For a group that is generally globally minded, socially conscious and openly engaged, such a
reality wrecks one's ability to imagine a more blissful future, Seemiller said.
"They are a little bit more cautious than the Millennials," Seemiller said. "The Millennials
were a more hopeful generation and grew up without a war and with a budget surplus. But
not Generation Z."
The current generation has been witness to numerous school shootings. They are familiar
with Sept. 11, 2001 and are acutely aware of international relations. They were there when
their parents lost their jobs and when homes foreclosed at record levels.
"They are not cynical and they are not overly optimistic; they are cautious," Seemiller said.
"And they are more realistic in terms of their outlook."
They are Game Changers

All of this means that in addition to educational institutions, marketers and social media
managers must evolve if they are to capture the attention of Generation Z.
Now might be the appropriate time to consider the lives and experiences of this new
subculture as Gen Z members begin entering colleges and universities, like the UA.
Colleges and universities who are attentive to this generation should consider the delivery
of educational materials and how students are engaged and supported, Seemiller said. The
same goes for social networks and marketing.
"Generation Z loves constant feedback – not necessarily about themselves," she said. "But
they want information at the touch of the finger."
This is the generation that can Google just about anything and find an answer from a hugely
diversified source base.
Seemiller said: "So if you are having a workshop on the 10 steps of conflict management,
why would they come if they can Google '10 steps of conflict management?'"
That does not mean that Gen Z is disinterested; it means they are engaged in a different
way.
"Gen Z really relies on its network of relationships and believes that their peers are more
influential in their learning," Seemiller said. "They learn by sharing among themselves and
believe no one is an expert, but that everyone is the expert because there are a bazillion
people with knowledge."

Manila Times
Welcome, Generation Z

BY ANGELO ARBOLEDA ON NOVEMBER 20, 2017

In their article “Generation Z enters the workforce,” Deloitte’s Carolyn O-Boyle, Josefin
Atack, and Kelly Monahan explain that the arrival of Gen Z is no different from that of the
millennials, with much of the dialogue focusing on the impact that “omnipresent personal
technology” has had on this generation. After all, these people grew up knowing—
instinctively, it would seem—their way around smart phones and tablets. My five-year-old
son even had to teach his grandparents how to full-screen a video, use the front-facing
camera, and switch apps sans the home button.

Gen Z is expected to bring an unprecedented level of tech skills to the workforce, and many
organizations have started to predict how this always-connected population will influence
the workplace.
O-Boyle, Atack and Monahan urge organizations to redesign the entry-level employee
experience, so that entry-level roles can attract and engage Gen Z and, at the same time,
continue to serve as a crucial training ground for them.
For the older generations, entry-level jobs were a rite of passage for a long-lasting career,
the lowest rung in the corporate ladder where future leaders learned the needed skills.
Entry-level roles gave organizations a chance to build a steady pipeline of professionals
who are “trained in an organization’s methods and steeped in its culture.” In knowledge-
based industries, entry-level roles typically focus on developing and honing technical skills
and soft skills needed for advancement.
But times have changed: ladders have shortened, career options have widened, and entry-
level employees often leave after only a couple of years.
In addition to the arrival of a new generation, automation and technology are pushing
organizations to change what entry-level work looks like. Automation is reducing the need
for human intervention in many routine tasks at the entry level, so incoming Gen Z
professionals may, instead, be greeted by jobs that require more critical thinking and
reasoning, which, at this stage in their careers, they might not yet be ready for.
That’s why O-Boyle, Atack, and Monahan are pushing organizations to evolve and take a
fresh look at the collective set of experiences that professionals undergo in their first few
years with an organization—from acquisition to development to organizational culture.
Learning delivery methods should be modernized; now popular are “nano-learning videos”
that are being used to provide right-sized lessons in a format that is familiar to millennials
and Gen Z. In addition, Gen Z expects an inclusive culture that promotes flexibility and
mobility, ensures frequent coaching, and puts priority on well-being.
None of this advice sounds new, of course. But it’s increasingly important to act on such
advice when it comes to Gen Z professionals, primarily because of their unprecedented
expectations of openness and transparency.
I’m still baffled by how often and how eagerly my young colleagues share their salary
information, but this seems to be the norm for them. And they expect the same from
everyone else. They expect open conversations not only about strategy and decisions, but
also about threats and failures, topics that most leaders aren’t keen to talk about.
O-Boyle, Atack and Monahan offer the following recommendations:
1. Act on input from young professionals: In most organizations, decision-makers come
from a different generation than the majority of the workforce. It is, therefore, important
that mechanisms, whether formal or informal, are created to allow young professionals to
share their perspectives and incorporate their values into the decision-making process.
2. Break with traditional norms: Many of the suggestions mentioned in the Deloitte article
may differ from what leaders experienced back when they were entry-level workers. But
they need to be convinced about the urgency to change, to spend more time with junior
professionals to pass down tacit knowledge, and to be more open to “looking across the
ecosystem to find and develop talent.”
3. Acknowledge that individual needs may differ from generational trends: We should
remember that individual professionals are just that—individuals, and they expect their
experiences to be specific to their personal preferences and goals. “While generational
trends can point us in a direction, an employee’s experience should be a unique path.”
Our conference rooms and workstations are now starting to be occupied by more and more
Generation Z professionals. If we can rise to the challenge of adapting for them and
allowing them to do their best, then they should feel perfectly at home in our organizations.
And, contrary to Hesiod’s misgivings, we would all be the better for it.
The writer is a director for Human Resources at Navarro Amper & Co., the local member firm
of Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd. – a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited –
comprising Deloitte practices operating in Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Indonesia, Lao PDR,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Manila Bulletin
Introducing Gen Z
By Sara Grace Fojas

While Millennials, self-entitled and sheltered or so accused, are having a hard time
“adulting,” the Gen Zs are slowly taking over the world, with the help of their best friend,
technology. Gen Z, the generation after the Millennials born from 1995 to 2016, are the kids
born into the world colonized by advanced machinery.
This is the generation who doesn’t remember a time without social media. Millennials have
experienced playing in the front yard with their neighbors, using dial-up Internet, and
spending time at the library while the Gen Zs can’t be seen without their smart phones in
their hand, using it for all sorts of things like health care, education, and shopping.
According to the Huffington Post article “8 Key Differences Between Gen Z and the
Millenials,” nearly 92 percent of Gen Z has a digital footprint, but, unlike the Millennials,
their lives are not posted online all the time. Instead, they follow influencers who inspire
them to be unique in everything they do from the brands they use to their lifestyle and
their future employers.
THE SELF-EDUCATED GENERATION
With the reason that everything is available to them with the touch of their fingers, Gen Z
kids do not need to go to the library anymore or ask professors or experts to learn about
things. They only need to go to Pinterest or YouTube and other websites and apps to find
what they’re looking for. Planning to redecorate your house? Pinterest has lots of pegs and
images to help you. Need to recover deleted images from your smart phone? There’s
already an app for that and YouTube will teach you how to do it step by step. Pinterest will
even teach you how to organize your life and YouTube can show you how to read an ECG
result.
Through your phone, you can learn a new language, learn how to get rid of the virus from
your computer, and fix everyday problems that we previously need an expert to do. In this
era, the expert is the Internet.
It’s like the entire world is placed in a 32-gig mobile phone, which contains everything they
need from hilarious videos on Facebook, the news on Twitter, amazing photographs on
Instagram, and live updates from their friends on Snapchat. It’s a bottomless pit of updates
from the entire planet.
THE LIVE GENERATION
Gen Z is born in the age of social media. Like the Millennials, they possess the urge to stay
connected 24/7. But for this generation, it’s not Facebook that’s making them connected
with their peers but other live and instant apps. A recent study by digital marketing agency
iStrategyLabs showed that 3.3 million American users have left Facebook or have decided
to use it less often since 2011. Gen Z prefers apps that are instant and more visual and use
less personal information. For them, Facebook is old-fashioned. They prefer using fast-
paced apps like Snapchat or IG Stories where they can post live updates that disappear
after 24 hours or Instagram where they can post photos without the need to explain much.
THE GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS
Business seems to be every Gen Z-er’s goal. As early as high school, Gen Zs have opened
their Instagram shops selling their pre-loved clothing. Young artists are creating various
products, patches for your denim jacket, personalized stuff, digital portraits, and more
services—all for a price. The youngest generation already knows how to convert their
passion into profession.
Although we have yet to find out how the youngest generation will perform in the
workplace since the oldest of them have just graduated from college, it’s safe to assume
that this generation will be a generation of business-minded people. A Sparks & Honey
trend report called “Meet Generation Z: Forget Everything You Learned about Millennials”
asserted that Gen Zs are “mature and in control,” and “entrepreneurship is in their DNA.”
The Gen Z businessperson already has online presence (in social media) even before they
have an office of their own. The possibilities are endless and this generation is lucky to be
able to start their own company with little or even no financial capital to start with, just
their talent and their smart phones.
These are just the characteristics of the Generation Z or the Post-Millennial or the
Millennials on Steroids. These kids have a lot more room to grow and the whole world is
excited to get to know them even more.