Having Peter Pan on Staff Isn’t All Bad
In my recent book, The Future Begins with Z, I talk about leading Generation Z in the workplace. They’re so different than older generations that they often present a challenge to their managers. I just wonder—what if our greatest challenge could become our greatest solution to future challenges?
I describe Gen Z teammates this way. Their population represents the “Peter Pan Paradox.” Do you remember Peter Pan? He soared into London (something no one else could do), sprinkled pixie dust over everything and made magic happen. In short, he brought unique gifts with him. At the same time, Peter Pan wanted to stay in Neverland, where kids never have to grow up. This simple analogy describes a new reality at work:
The age of authority is decreasing. 📈 Young people enter their career with some magic—having intuition and visibility on the future and where culture is going.
The age of maturity is increasing.📉 Young people seem to be taking longer to mature socially and emotionally, and often have no professional experience as they begin their careers.
I smiled as I read a post on social media where someone shared their observations about Gen Z. It was a tongue-in-cheek meme that said, “Gen Z will drink one medium caramel latte, not eat a single meal till 4 pm, verbally abuse a racist, crack a joke about their mental health and pick up a tear gas canister with their bare hands, but get nervous when they have to call to make a doctor’s appointment.”
Focus on the Magic
Something magical and tragic is happening at work with these youngest employees. Due to what they bring with them, leaders will need to listen more to them than we used to listen to rookies, and yet coach more than we used to coach to onboard them. I say, let’s focus on the “magic” they bring.
One example is how Gen Zers are helping older colleagues learn to utilize AI at work. Yep, you read that correctly. A survey by the International Workplace Group found that almost two-thirds of Gen Z respondents were teaching their older workplace peers how to use AI to get their tasks done. "This support often takes different forms, from hands-on guidance to sharing practical tips to integrate AI into daily workflows," CEO Mark Dixon said.
It’s Reverse Mentoring
The poll discovered that nearly 100 percent of Generation Z workers admitted to using AI tools at work, saying it was a catalyst for their careers. What they didn’t see coming was how much faster they caught on than their older colleagues. In the poll, which surveyed over 2,000 individuals in the U.S. and the U.K., nearly half of the respondents said AI is bridging generational gaps and encouraging collaboration. Older workers "are showing a real openness to AI" and "learning from younger generations," Dixon added. The survey found office workers overall saved 55 minutes per day on average because they used AI tools.
Consider what this means. The newest, youngest, least experienced, and least expensive team members may accelerate the production of your entire team. When we focus on the “magic” side of their contribution, it becomes a game changer, and it bonds generations. Mark Dixon explained that the dynamic between older and younger generations was "so impactful" because of its "reciprocity." Younger staff are using their AI skills to "guide" others and "introduce new ways of working," while older generations respond by leveraging their industry knowledge to help Gen Z use the technology more effectively.
I just received an email from my friend, Colin Webb. He was hired by a traditional company right out of college, and although he brought new ideas with him, his supervisor was not open to his input. After a year, this young professional quit and became an entrepreneur. He just started his third company, and I am impressed. Avatar Robotics makes labor unlimited, allowing anyone to do manual work from anywhere in the world. He’s building a future where millions of humans direct billions of robots to provide resources and services worldwide. I watched him guide robots from 3,000 miles away. It’s dazzling to my brain.
The bottom line?
I am increasingly challenging our traditional view of mentoring. It no longer looks like it did in the past, where seasoned workers made an effort to teach younger colleagues. Now, it goes both ways. And the sooner staff over 45 years old can swallow their ego and become learners—not just teachers on the job—the sooner Peter Pan can apply his/her magic. If we can put up with the “pixie dust,” we might just find having Peter Pan on staff is not all bad.
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The Future Begins with Z:
Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z as They Disrupt the Workplace.
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