Dear Kristin, there are many myths and legends, rumors and prejudices surrounding Generation Z, to which you also belong. Do you feel addressed by one or the other? Do you feel seen?
Oh yes, there really are some stereotypes and prejudices about GenZ. Some people in society say that we are just glued to our cell phones, lazy, disengaged and have an unhealthy addiction to social media. fzeigen. I don’t see myself there at all. Sometimes I also have the feeling of an inner generational conflict because I don’t fit the “typical pattern” of GenZ. On the other hand, what is the typical pattern of my generation? I don’t think there is one, it doesn’t really exist in any generation. GenZ just knows exactly what is important to it and how we want to work. This is also shown by the results of a survey conducted by the agency consultancy Müller Garage, which asked 19 to 28-year-olds about job satisfaction in agencies. GenZ no longer wants to devote their entire lives to their work. A good work-life balance, good pay and appreciation are important points for GenZ. If GenZ are not offered this, they are very willing to change jobs. I find myself agreeing with these points. But for me personally, the team spirit and the feel-good factor at work are also extremely important. If that’s not there, I wouldn’t stay or start with an employer for any money in the world. However, opportunities for promotion and flexible working are also very important to me personally. As you can see, people from GenZ are also very individual and cannot all be lumped together. That’s why we should all continue to talk across generations and without prejudice in order to share experiences, knowledge and adventures.
What role does a manager actually play for you today? Are you rather looking for someone, who secures your existence (runs the business) or who supports and accompanies you?
For me, managers play an important role. They are role models for me because they already have several years of professional experience and a lot more knowledge. That’s why I expect managers to share this experience and knowledge with me and encourage me. Appreciate my strengths and work with me to turn my weaknesses into strengths. That’s why I prefer to be in regular contact. This is the only way I can learn what it means to be a good leader and a good consultant. Only in the second step would I expect the manager to secure the company’s existence. However, I can make a significant contribution here by applying the knowledge I have learned directly with customers in order to convince them of our services and products.
If you could take over the management of a company or agency today, what would you do? What would you focus on, what would be particularly important to you?
Create a positive working environment in which employees feel valued and supported. I would create this through open communication, regular feedback meetings, an appropriate salary and flexible working conditions. But developing and maintaining a strong corporate culture that reflects the company’s values and goals would also be a priority 😊 – just like at MPC. And I think I would establish a cool ritual among colleagues to promote team spirit, such as meditating together for 5 minutes every morning or taking a short quiz as a team. Perhaps readers can think of a nice ritual that you would like to share with us?