What Gen Z needs to know about communicating with leadership

Leaders are increasingly interested in the best way to communicate with Gen Z, but It’s important to flip the script and look at how Gen Z should best communicate with senior leadership. 

As 56% of incoming S&P 1500 CEOs belong to Gen X, ages 45 to 60, while 16% are in their 40s, some belonging to Gen X and others to Millennials, Gen Z must understand how to bridge communication gaps and best operate under the leadership of these generations. 

Here’s what effective communication looks like for Gen Z and what they need to know to succeed: 

How they differ 

Senior leaders, such as Shel Holtz, senior director of communications at Webcor, prefer professionalism and solid business acumen in communications, while Gen Z generally prefers brevity and casualness. 

Senior leaders also want Gen Z to understand the organization and talk in business terms. However, early career professionals often take a more informal approach.  

“I think our methods of communication are so simple and strategic and they still get that end result in a way that’s almost streamlined,” said Gianluca Russo, a Gen Z communications manager for member stories and consumer products at LinkedIn.   

Similarly, Emma Buschle, public relations associate at Lambert, said Gen Z is trying to normalize casualness. “But I think it’s all about time and place,” said Buschle. 

To reach the middle ground, Gen Z and senior leaders must establish the goal of the conversation, set a desired result and then find how to get there in a way that makes sense for both parties.  

Bridging the gap and adapting communication 

After four years in the workforce, Russo feels like he can communicate authentically because early on, he had conversations with his manager about communication style and how to meet in the middle. 

“I think making sure that you’re super aligned on what your goal of the conversation is, or goal of the moment or plan is really key.” Gianluca Russo 

Leaders encourage Gen Z to align their styles by focusing on the goal and the desired outcomes.  

Dave Trausneck, senior manager of PR and external communications at Aidoc, suggests Gen Z establish communication parameters with senior leadership like himself, to create a strong foundation for these types of conversations. 

“Recognize that your senior leaders are from a different generation and that they’re not necessarily going to respond to communication that you might opt to employ when engaging with one of your peers,” said Holtz. 

Ensure leadership sees your value 

Younger professionals may struggle in communicating with organizational leaders because of the need to navigate formality, overcome limited visibility and manage the pressure to constantly perform, while fearing being overlooked because of their age and experience. 

To best connect with senior leadership, Gen Z should be consistent, confident and build credibility. “Just as people earlier in their careers may be doubting whether they belong there, it’s having that confidence. You were hired for a reason. You’re in that position for a reason,” said Trausneck. 

Buschle agrees effective communication with leadership requires preparation, such as researching common ground, knowing your ask and drilling down your ideas. 

“Leadership is busy, they’re stressed, and they don’t always have the time to parse it out and understand what you want or what you need,” said Buschle. 

Preparation must be balanced to avoid sounding overly rehearsed, robotic or lacking emotion. 

If Holtz were a Gen Z communicator in the workplace right now, he would seek face-to-face interaction for conversations as much as possible.  

“I think for Gen Z, given the fact that they are generally earlier in their careers, that face-to- face becomes important just for growth, for visibility, for mentoring,” said Holtz. 

Embrace discomfort and push through awkward moments 

When communication with a manager fails due to misaligned styles or difficulty expressing a point, Russo recommends Gen Z professionals view these moments as opportunities to establish better communication practices. 

“My biggest advice is (to) push through those discomfort moments to find that middle ground to find those methods of communication that work across generations,” said Russo.  

When finding the middle ground and bridging a communications gap, acknowledge differing communication styles and try to reposition your thoughts to make sure the messaging makes sense to both people. Gen Z should understand that while you shouldn’t have to change the way you communicate, it is also important to find ways to make sure people understand you.  

For Gen Z professionals, uncertainty about workplace norms can cause miscommunication. Trausneck suggest that Gen Z should always seek feedback and ask questions for clarification. 

“People earlier in their careers may be doubting whether they belong, it’s having that confidence. You were hired for a reason. You’re in that position for a reason. Have that confidence.” said Trausneck.