"For Gen X managers, who were trained to value quiet diligence, this may come across as defiance. But the truth is more nuanced - and, I would argue, more constructive. Gen Z grew up in an era of instant information and constant change. They are used to finding answers at their fingertips and have little patience for "because that's the way it's always been done." They expect clarity, purpose, and context."
"But I've come to see that Gen Z's instinct to ask "why" isn't laziness or resistance - it's engagement. They want to understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture. They want to know their effort has meaning and what they're doing is worth it. And when we take the time to provide that context, we often uncover inefficiencies, redundancies, and opportunities that my generation might never have questioned."
"As a member of Generation X, I grew up in the workplace with a simple rule: if your boss asked you to do something, you said "yes" and got on with it. That was the culture of the time. We didn't often stop to ask whether the process made sense, or if there was a better way of completing the task."
Generation X workplace culture prioritized unquestioning compliance, following a simple rule: if a boss asked something, employees said yes and proceeded without challenging processes. Generation Z entering the workforce asks "why", seeking clarity, purpose, and context and expecting explanations rather than accepting tradition. Those questions can feel like pushback to managers who value quiet diligence, but they often reflect engagement and a desire to understand how work contributes to the bigger picture. Providing context can reveal inefficiencies, redundancies, and improvement opportunities. Leaders must balance the need for explanation with the need for timely execution.
Read at Business Matters
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