5 Amazing Lessons you MUST learn from the digital-skilled Gen Z

Here’s the thing about the Gen Z folks…

You can’t miss noticing them. And you definitely mustn’t underestimate them.

In the work environment of today, they come with a ‘vibe’ of their own — though varying in intensity from person to person.

If you are not in their category, then you might want to observe them and take some notes here- not just about how to best relate with them, but also how you can improve yourself personally and professionally, as necessitated by the current times and our dynamic digital world.

So, don’t bother asking if this writer is Gen Z or not. Neither does it matter if you, the reader, are one or not.

What matters is that we all have a thing to grasp (or become more conscious about) as we navigate a world where the Gen Z folks are permeating every relevant work and economic environment.

Before we check out the five amazing lessons the digital-skilled Gen Z guys have taught us, let’s establish some groundwork on who they are.

First things first. Generations are generally grouped by categorizing people born within the same 15 to 20-year span in one group. To fall into the Gen Z category, you must have been born between 1997 to 2012. The Gen Z category houses the youngest batch of adults in the current times. They are noticeably the new entrants into the workforce, as well as the university students trying to chart a path for their life.

Although cultural, environmental, and economic circumstances might make them differ, there are common traits that characterize the Gen Z category, which can be said to be due to the era of civilization they are born into, amongst other factors.

But generally, here are a few ways we can describe the Gen Z folks of today, especially in relation to the Nigerian work culture:

• They are free-spirited dreamers, with a strong inclination to choose the career path that suits them the most, rather than the convention.
• They are opportunity-hungry explorers who value adventure and personal gain over monotonous stability and corporate gain.
• They are highly conscious, assertive, and mostly averse to rigid, non-essential workplace structures/bureaucracy.
• They are highly skilled/talented, interested, and comfortable with digital technology, new-age innovations, and futuristic possibilities. This makes their insights invaluable to forward-thinking businesses, organizations, and establishments.
• They are idealistic and demanding, especially in terms of their desired pay, quality of life, workplace culture, and accruing benefits.
• They are often restlessly on a search for the next big thing, or the most interesting trends on the internet, which they actively drive. Also, they live, eat, drink, sleep, and of course, earn on social media.
• They are big on work-life balance and would mostly demand work flexibility, remote work options, and better technological adoption in the workplace.
• They mostly drive the gig economy, as they have normalized job hopping, career-path switching, and non-conventional digital professions.

If you fall into the Gen Z category, then you must see yourself in a few (if not all) of these descriptions. Basically, these guys are the newest kids on the block, and the bright shiny generation that has earned the attention of the media, the respect of the progressives, and the scorn of the elders.

Knowing these, here are a few lessons you must pick from the digitally-skilled Gen Z.

1. Knowledge is currency. Acquire it, spend it, and ‘flex’ with it. This is one thing that makes Gen Z folks way too valuable to the older generations in the work environment. When it comes to knowledge about technology, innovations that will drive world changes, and the needed solutions to modern-day challenges, the gen Z folks have pretty good insight. They revel in the fact that new-age knowledge are at their fingertips. Thus, no matter how much the older folks scowl at them for their supposed brattiness, they’ll come back begging for our (sorry, their) valuable knowledge. To function seamlessly in the Gen Z age, you must be willing to acquire knowledge, especially in relation to digital skills and tech solutions.
2. As Socrates said, Know Thyself. If there’s anything the Gen Z folks are teaching us, it’s the importance of self-awareness. In today’s world, choosing a career path that you’ll thrive in is largely hinged on knowing your personal strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. As a typical Gen Z would do, you must be able to know when a career path or job is good for you, when you must take another entirely different path, and when you need certain skills to do better.
3. Speak up! (or better still, as the Nigerian Gen Z clamored in a wave of political agitation, ‘Soro-soke!’). One thing the Gen Z kids keep teaching us is that we must be assertive about our demands. When navigating the complex work environment, be sure to speak up about your discomfort, confusion, ignorance, or disagreement. Even when it’s uncomfortable or in intimidating situations, don’t be afraid to speak up or ask questions, as the case may be. Although this might earn you a few more scowls from the older generation, it almost always pays off.
4. Understand the times. It is clear that Gen Z folks have been born into an interesting era. The work environment is highly dynamic, the economy is volatile, worldwide changes and events spring up daily, and human connections are growing all the more advanced. This puts all forward-thinking individuals (not just the Gen Z) in a vantage position where opportunities abound. By understanding the current times, young individuals can take advantage of positive or even negative situations to gain, grow, and contribute significant value.
5. Keep growing. It is apparent that the Gen Z have a lot of growing up to do, especially with respect to their workplace attitudes, value proposition, and long-term relevance. While it is necessary to have healthy self-esteem, it becomes counterproductive when esteem stunts growth. Hence, both the Gen Z folks and non-Gen Z folks must learn how to keep developing areas where they fall short.

Conclusion

The digital-skilled Gen Z folks are certainly an interesting bunch with both positive and negative traits. By observing these traits, we all can pick some valuable insights and lessons which would be applicable in our professional and personal lives.

Businesses also can better finetune the propositions they target at this demographic simply by understanding them better.

Do you know any more instructive and interesting traits displayed by the Gen Z?

Please share them with us in the community or in the comments section here.

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