Simon Sinek's Brutally Honest Opinion Of Gen-Z
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the avoidance of uncomfortable conversations by the younger generation, often leading to drastic actions like quitting jobs without asking for a raise. It highlights the importance of teaching difficult communication skills, which are currently lacking in education. The speaker emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding generational differences, rather than labeling them as strengths or weaknesses, and stresses the evolving nature of what constitutes a strength in various contexts.
Takeaways
- đ¶ The younger generation tends to avoid conflict and uncomfortable conversations, which can lead to unexpected outcomes like quitting a job without discussing issues first.
- đ There is a lack of skills in having difficult conversations, which is a gap in the current curriculum and could be beneficial to teach alongside traditional subjects.
- đ The new generation, particularly Gen Z, is activistic and more likely to stand up and quit their jobs if they feel undervalued, rather than staying silent or just complaining.
- đ€ The speaker suggests that strengths and weaknesses are context-dependent and should not be labeled as inherently good or bad without considering the situation.
- đ The importance of understanding the context behind why someone might quit a job or avoid a conversation, rather than labeling the action as a sign of weakness or irresponsibility.
- đ€ The need for empathy in understanding the motivations and actions of different generations, including recognizing gaps in skills that can be taught and improved.
- đ The speaker questions the value of traditional education that focuses on subjects like trigonometry over life skills such as having difficult conversations and giving feedback.
- đĄ The idea that the workplace has evolved from people suffering in silence to openly discussing their dissatisfaction and taking action, which is a significant shift in workplace culture.
- đ« The negative impact of ghosting or disappearing without explanation, which can be traumatic for the person on the receiving end and is a sign of avoiding uncomfortable conversations.
- đ The potential for Gen Z to be seen as cowardly for avoiding difficult conversations, but the speaker argues for understanding the reasons behind such behavior and teaching necessary skills.
- đ The importance of recognizing that different generations have unique characteristics and that what may be a strength in one context can be a weakness in another.
Q & A
What is a common trait observed in the younger generation when it comes to difficult conversations at work?
-The younger generation often exhibits a tendency to avoid conflict and uncomfortable conversations. They may prefer to quit their job rather than ask for a raise or have a difficult discussion with their boss.
What impact does avoiding difficult conversations have on the individuals involved?
-Avoiding difficult conversations can lead to misunderstandings, feelings of being undervalued, and even trauma. It can make someone feel lonely and unappreciated, and in extreme cases, lead to situations like ghosting in personal relationships.
How does the speaker suggest we address the discomfort of having difficult conversations?
-The speaker suggests that we can teach people, including leaders and students, how to have difficult conversations. This includes learning how to give and receive feedback and improving social interactions.
What does the speaker say about labeling strengths and weaknesses?
-The speaker believes that labeling traits as strengths or weaknesses is problematic because the context matters. A strength in one situation could be a weakness in another, and vice versa.
Can you give an example of how a perceived weakness might be beneficial in a different context?
-The speaker gives the example of being chronically disorganized. While generally considered a weakness, it led to a business contact thinking the speaker was busy and more in demand, which actually strengthened their relationship.
How does the speaker compare the activism of the Gen Z generation to previous generations?
-The speaker notes that while people in previous generations also disliked their jobs, they typically suffered in silence or only discussed it among peers. In contrast, Gen Z is more likely to actively organize and make changes, including quitting their jobs if they feel unfulfilled.
What is the speaker's stance on empathy in the workplace?
-The speaker advocates for practicing empathy, especially when dealing with different generations. Instead of labeling actions as strengths or weaknesses, leaders should seek to understand the reasons behind these actions and address any gaps in skills or knowledge.
Why does the speaker believe that the avoidance of difficult conversations is a fixable issue?
-The speaker believes that the avoidance of difficult conversations is often due to a lack of skill or training, which can be addressed through education and practice in communication.
What generational differences does the speaker mention in terms of workplace behavior?
-The speaker mentions that while previous generations might have simply complained about their jobs, the Gen Z generation is more likely to take action, such as quitting or organizing to address issues they see in the workplace.
What skills does the speaker believe are missing from current education that could help in the workplace?
-The speaker believes that skills such as having difficult conversations, social interaction, listening, and giving and receiving feedback are missing from current education, yet are crucial for success in the workplace.
Outlines
đ€ Avoiding Uncomfortable Conversations
The speaker discusses the tendency of the younger generation to avoid uncomfortable conversations, which can lead to unexpected outcomes like quitting a job without asking for a raise or ghosting in relationships. They highlight the importance of learning to have difficult conversations as a skill that is often overlooked in education. The speaker also emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding when dealing with generational differences in communication styles and workplace behaviors.
đ The Complexity of Strengths and Weaknesses
This paragraph delves into the concept that what may be considered a strength or weakness is highly dependent on context. The speaker uses personal anecdotes to illustrate how being disorganized can be seen as a weakness in some situations but also has its silver linings. They argue against labeling entire generations as strong or weak, instead advocating for a nuanced understanding of individual characteristics and the contexts in which they operate. The speaker encourages the practice of empathy to better understand the motivations and actions of different generations, including Gen Z, in the workplace.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄConflict Avoidant
đĄUncomfortable Conversations
đĄUndervalued
đĄLeadership
đĄSocial Interaction
đĄTrauma
đĄActivism
đĄStrengths and Weaknesses
đĄEmpathy
đĄGenerational Differences
đĄEducation
Highlights
Young generation tends to avoid conflict and uncomfortable conversations, leading to feelings of loneliness.
Avoidance of difficult discussions can result in unexpected resignations without prior communication.
Leadership is often surprised when employees quit without discussing their concerns or desires for raises.
The reluctance to have uncomfortable conversations can be detrimental to relationships and professional growth.
Teaching people how to have uncomfortable conversations is a valuable skill set that is often overlooked in education.
The importance of social interaction and listening skills in education is underemphasized compared to academic subjects.
Difficult conversations are essential for personal and professional development, yet they are often avoided.
Gen Z is characterized by activism and a willingness to stand up for their beliefs in the workplace.
The new generation is more likely to quit their jobs rather than engage in uncomfortable conversations about their work.
Understanding the context in which strengths and weaknesses manifest is crucial for effective leadership.
Strengths can become liabilities in the wrong context, and weaknesses can have positive aspects.
Empathy is key to understanding the motivations and actions of different generations in the workplace.
Labeling entire generations as strong or weak overlooks the individual and contextual differences.
The practice of empathy can bridge gaps in skills and understanding between different generations.
The importance of teaching empathy as a skill that is currently missing from many educational curricula.
The need for leaders to adapt and understand the unique characteristics of Gen Z in the post-COVID workplace.
The conversation about strengths and weaknesses should be reframed to consider the context and potential for growth.
The role of social media in communication and the avoidance of difficult conversations, leading to misunderstandings.
Transcripts
this Young Generation because of all the
reasons we've talked about and more
seems to exhibit the traits of being
very conflict avoidant
very uncomfortable with uncomfortable
that has some
impact that are
sometimes
funny
quote unquote but always tend to make
somebody feel more lonely so for example
and I've seen this happen I've heard
about these stories so many times a
young employee
who may feel they're in line for arrays
but it's so uncomfortable to go into
their boss
and ask for a raise
that they just quit
that they would rather quit than have an
uncomfortable conversation and then
sometimes it is followed by a an angry
email that says I'm undervalued you
don't appreciate me you underpay me
you know
and and I've I've heard it happen so
many times where
the leadership is like what what we
would have happily like I'm sorry we
were either planning on giving you raise
we'd have to give you a raise you know
and it's really uncomfortable to walk in
your boss's office and be like hey I'm
working really hard can have a raise
please now the time you do get to quit
is when you've had this conversation
four five six times and you've seen
nothing and had no feedback and had no
impact then absolutely you quit and
absolutely you say you undervalue me you
underappreciate we've underappreciate me
we've had this conversation five or six
times then it's their fault
because they had all the information
but again it's really funny how many
young kids would were they they would
rather quit than have a difficult
conversation or they'd rather break up
than have a difficult conversation or
Worse they'd rather go someone than
break up with them
because it's really uncomfortable to
have a fight and a breakup and call each
other names
it's much easier to just turn off all
the social media unfollow everywhere I
know we've been dating for six months
but I'm just gonna now ignore every text
ignore all your calls and think about it
from the we talk about service
think about the service or disservice we
do the other person for their their
point of view
it's like you got in a car accident it's
like you were just killed it's like you
just disappeared off the planet that is
trauma
because you're uncomfortable to have an
uncomfortable conversation you would do
that to someone another person so
service goes both ways
which is I will make myself
uncomfortable and have a difficult
conversation even if I bumble it and
screw it up and it ends up being a
screaming match
because that is a better option than
traumatizing a person where they have to
believe
that I've first of all that I've died
because they can't get hold of me in the
panic and then when they realize I'm
alive because they see me on Instagram
that now I've destroyed their
self-confidence
how dare somebody do that to another
human being because you're just a little
uncomfortable of having an uncomfortable
conversation where we can help is we can
teach people how to have uncomfortable
conversations that is a skill set
we don't teach leaders how to have
uncomfortable conversations we don't
teach students how to have uncomfortable
conversations we don't teach you know we
can teach these things all over the
place
and I think it's I think it's a big
gaping hole in curriculum we teach you
know maths and we teach English but we
don't teach social interaction we don't
teach listening we don't we don't teach
how to have uncomfortable conversations
we don't teach how to give and receive
feedback
you know now you tell me which is going
to be more valuable for the rest of your
life how to have a difficult
conversation or trigonometry
and shouldn't we be you know isn't this
shouldn't we be preparing people for
life
on that point of that new generation in
the workplace and how they're they're
exhibiting traits of being a little bit
more cowardly
in terms of having those difficult
conversations you made a video about
Millennials in the workplace that did
probably hundreds of millions of views
yeah I remember seeing it on Facebook
maybe five years ago and it I think it
had 50 million views on that one video
but across YouTube it's got tens of
millions of views on many many different
videos
um but I'm thinking now about that new
generation that you've described that
younger generation that gen Z generation
that are emerging into the like
post-covered world
what is the workplace for them what how
do I as a leader make sure that if I'm
hiring gen Z and I've got a couple even
in this room that work in my company
what have we got to know about them and
do to make sure that they Thrive stay
motivated and achieve their goals
this is my own bias
I don't like the conversation of
strengths and weaknesses
um you know it's the famous question you
know in an interview what's your biggest
weakness well I'm a perfectionist you
know uh
I don't like the conversations of
strengths and weaknesses because
um strengths often have liability
I'm really confident okay in the wrong
context you're arrogant right but
weaknesses also have
Silver Linings so for me I'm chronically
disorganized I'm terrible right every
system app that works for like a week
and then I'm back to being disorganized
is that a good thing or a bad thing now
for years I used to beat myself up for
it and say it's a bad thing it's a
terrible weakness but the reality is
it's context so I was at this as a young
entrepreneur I was at this networking
event
and I met this guy who was like really
impressed with what I had to say with my
pitch and he's like Simon we have to do
work together here's my business card
call me let's do this
and I lost the business card basically
as soon as he gave it to me so anybody
who was organized would be sending a
text from the taxi or at least sending
an email the next day not Yahoo over
here I lost the business card there was
no way for me to find out what this
important piece of business would have
led to because I lost the card two weeks
later I found the business card at the
bottom of a briefcase
so I emailed him and said hey remember
we met two weeks ago you know I'd love
to reconnect and see if we can work
together still he wanted to work with me
more because he thought I was busy
so strength or weakness the answer is it
depends now in general yes it is a
weakness it's a liability and it causes
me great stress but not always is the
point and so yes it's important for us
to understand our characteristics
that we exhibit of which some of them in
the con in certain contexts are huge
strengths and some of the exact same
characteristics in the wrong context are
huge weaknesses right so it's very it's
we have to be very careful when we label
people or Generations as being strong or
weak because the answer is it depends
okay so that's the preface so when we
talk about this young generation
the the Gen Z generation they exhibit
many of the same characteristics as the
previous generation but they're quite
different in the sense that they're very
activists
right so for example in the 1950s and
60s people hated their jobs back then
too they just went to work every day and
just suffered in Silence You Know by the
time you get to the 80s and 90s people
hated their jobs but then they'd at
least start talking around about it
around the office saying you know this
this job kind of sucks a little bit you
know and then by the time you get sort
of the 2000s people start speaking up to
their bosses saying I think we should
make it better to work here you know and
now you're in this young generation and
they're just like they're like standing
up and quitting and like and I love it
right and and and they organize they're
much more you know the previous
generation would like hashtag tweet my
discontent as I'm sitting in my Uber on
my way to brunch you know but these
young generation gets out and organizes
and comes together
plus or minus depends sometimes it's a
huge strength the fact that they have
that kind of energy but sometimes as
we've talked about as well they also
have the energy to quit instead of
having an uncomfortable conversation so
strength or weakness it depends and so I
think the way we have to approach all of
these things is with empathy which is
instead of uh uh deciding with the
strength of the weakness to try and
understand where it comes from because I
can say this generation is irresponsible
and will quit before they ask for a a
raise or I can say
why is it that they're quitting before
they get a when they just need a raise
what's Miss what's what's what happened
between a and b and that thought and
those two actions you know and I'm like
oh they just missed the skill set oh we
can totally figure that one out that
one's an easy fix so I'm not labeling a
whole person or a whole generation I'm
not rather recognizing that there's gaps
of uh skills which we all have
so when you ask me about any of the
generations
and they all have strengths and they all
have liabilities
and depending on the time frame and the
context sometimes sometimes those
strengths also become old-fashioned no
longer necessary you know they can still
cause frustration they can still cause
confusion you know we're still looking
through them at our through our own
prisms of our own generation I've
definitely caught myself doing it you
know I do do it my goodness we never did
that when we were kids you know when I
was their age I'm actually saying that
now
but um I think the the
trial
the the the the test
is the practice of empathy which is
another skill that we can teach that's
missing if you love The Darby CEO brand
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