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Gen Z is the Future of Work
1.3k Plays1 year ago
Where is the world of work heading? Especially with the growing presence of Generation Z in the workforce. Episode 46 features a conversation with work futurist and innovation specialist, Sophie Wade. We discuss the changing environments and dynamics of work and the role that Gen Z is playing in shaping the future of work.
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Transcript
Gen Z's Workforce Emergence
00:00:05
Speaker
This is hashtag Gen Z, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how they are different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those who came before them. I'm your host, Megan Grace. Welcome back to season five, where we're doing a deep dive on Generation Z in the workplace. This is episode 46, which we're going to be focusing on the future of work. For those keeping tabs on Gen Z,
00:00:29
Speaker
which I assume you are, if you're listening to this podcast, the oldest returning 28 this year in 2023. We actually have about 10 years of this generation over the age of 18.
00:00:42
Speaker
which really means we have about 10 years of those in Generation Z who are technically workforce eligible. So while we keep saying, Gen Z's coming, they're gonna shake up the workforce, there's actually a solid group of members of Generation Z who are already here and shaking things up. In just a few years, they're actually estimated to make up 25% of the workforce. While they're still growing up and some are still planning their careers, the future of work will heavily be shaped by the presence of those who are currently working and those who will be working soon.
00:01:11
Speaker
So it felt like a perfect time to bring in a conversation with one of my new friends and one of my favorite people to ideate with.
Introducing Sophie Wade: Future of Work Expert
00:01:18
Speaker
Sophie Wade is a work futurist, international keynote speaker, author, instructor, and workforce innovation specialist at Future of Work Consultancy Fluxell Network.
00:01:29
Speaker
Over 540,000 people have taken her LinkedIn video courses on empathy, Gen Z, and future of work skills. Sophie's executive advisory work and transformative workshops help leaders adapt new business conditions, attract, engage, and retain a multi-generational distributed workforce. Sophie's first book, Embracing Progress, Next Steps of the Future of Work,
00:01:52
Speaker
became an EMBA textbook. And her new book is Empathy Works, the key to competitive advantage in the new era of work.
Sophie's Vision: Adapting to Change
00:02:00
Speaker
Sophie also hosts a popular podcast, Transforming Work with Sophie Wade. She got her BA and MA at Oxford University and MBA International Business at NCAD. Please help me in welcoming Sophie to the episode today.
00:02:18
Speaker
I am so excited to have today's guest join us. Truly someone I've been so lucky to get to know and the universe put into my life and just a delightful person to daydream with, but in like a very intentional manner. So welcome, Sophie. I'm so happy to have you here.
00:02:34
Speaker
Oh Megan, it's so much fun to be chatting again. We always have so much to talk about. I know, like we could probably just talk forever and ever and ever, but we know that we can't always do that because we have jobs we have to get to, but luckily our jobs allow us to hang out from time to time.
00:02:49
Speaker
which I love when that's my workplace benefit, really. But Sophie, tell us a little bit about your story. Who are you? What kind of work do you do? I mean, I've always said that you have the coolest job title I've ever heard in my life, your workplace futurist. But really, what do you do in your work and how do you help companies and organizations?
00:03:09
Speaker
came up with a, well, Work Futures was given to me as a title, but otherwise I call myself a workforce innovation specialist because that was really trying to explain
Human-Centric Future of Work
00:03:20
Speaker
what I did. I started off with Future of Work Strategist and everyone was like, what's the future of work? This was 2015. So now it's really trying to
00:03:29
Speaker
help people understand what the future of work is, particularly now it's arrived, and different elements where I focus. One is Gen Z, another is really looking at how the workplace, new work arrangements, you know, whether it's
00:03:48
Speaker
remote working, hybrid, all those elements to it. And also in terms of changing leadership styles, which also affects Gen Z of course. So it's really the umbrella of the future of work and a human centric angle or lens through which I look and practices. So I'm really helping companies adapt to very new ways of working and new ways of thinking about business, which is
00:04:17
Speaker
primarily driven by technology. There's got to be so much change management that you do or like at least like psychological change management support and help. I mean, I know you and I talk about this all the time of the things that organizations kind of just like struggle to come around to and grapple with and it's dissonance, right? That is humans going through change is always hard at a very high level.
00:04:42
Speaker
What are the things that you're currently helping organizations and companies grapple with as we think about
Gen Z: Natural Adaptation vs. Company's Modernization
00:04:48
Speaker
the future of work? I know we've already mentioned Gen Z. That's the focus of not only the podcast, but our conversation today. But when we're thinking about the future of work,
00:04:56
Speaker
Where does Gen Z play a role in that? And how are you helping companies and organizations kind of confront some issues? So the whole of the fall last year, everything was about Gen Z. And the way I look at it really is that Gen Z are manifesting the future of work. You know, it's not that they're in a corner of TikTok plotting together like, oh, come on, let's like disrupt everything. It's really that they're coming into the workplace and
00:05:23
Speaker
doing what seems to come naturally based on what they experience. So it really is for companies. I see so much of this pushback, this, the challenges that they're having with Gen Z, which is, you know, can they hire them? How they engaging them? How many of them are quitting? Enormous numbers are quitting. It's really, uh, an indicative of this challenge to update and modernize as people are, you know, a lot of the language now is about modernizing
00:05:52
Speaker
ways that we're working. And that really has an emphasis on Gen Zs because they're the ones who don't have any history in terms of how things used to be. So they really are the ones who unfortunately for them are the ones who are reacting in the most contradictory way perhaps to the traditional ways that people have been working that they are sort of struggling to
00:06:22
Speaker
to make the adaptations necessary. And that's hard. I mean, we've gone through incredible disruption of the pandemic, which did actually help us sort of understand more about where we're going because that really was a lot of the things that we were dealing with were very much future work.
Remote Work as a Permanent Fixture
00:06:40
Speaker
characteristics. So it really is to do with helping people understand where we are. And a revelation that's sort of happened to me over the last two months, and particularly I was at Running Remote last week. And I recognize that what I'm hearing, what I'm experiencing, and what I'm also feeling for the people is that
00:07:09
Speaker
There is this sense that if we can just get people back in the office, then we can get on with things and sort of deal with the future of work. And there's a sort of disconnect between the fact that these new ways of working, the remote working and hybrid working, this is a piece of the puzzle.
00:07:30
Speaker
You can't separate it out. It is something which Gen Z's need. It's something that we, this flexibility, this adaptability, these adaptability ways of working are part of all of it. So that's a key piece that I'm seeing now that people, you know, a number of leaders, I think they can put back in the box and then everything's going to be fine. It's like that will, that will not be fine. Yeah. It's, it's so interesting that you say like they need to have like,
00:08:00
Speaker
companies and organizations saying we need to get back to the office and then we'll deal with the future of work. It's almost like they're trying to do this thing like in the middle of a, um, like a sports match where it's like, okay, let's have a huddle. Let's pause and let's figure it out. Like, no, no, we did that for two years. Like we had the, what all it did was put it a light on the fact that, uh, the way things were before is probably not the way that we're going to be able to do things moving forward.
00:08:25
Speaker
And I think it's this level of discomfort. And the way that I look at it is there's a level of discomfort from organizational leaders that there's going to be in the process of disruption. And you talk about humans in work and the empathy and the wiring of humans and really that psychological piece of it. Humans are not the best at disrupting status quo in our life. We aim for stasis.
00:08:53
Speaker
When I think like you and I go so deep in some of our conversations, like what you just said to me was we have a group of up and coming workers, which we'll get to in a second. That is more naturally okay with change, just whether that developmentally entering companies that they want to engage this group, but humans are so wired to create stasis that organizations are just not shifting fast enough.
00:09:21
Speaker
And we're almost a little scared. And that's how I'm kind of hearing it. Yeah. I mean, we absolutely are. And there's so much change going on in every aspect that I can understand why people would want to kind of go, OK, well, let's just actually get this piece back. This piece has changed so much. Let's get it back to where it was. And then everything else will be easier to deal with.
00:09:48
Speaker
rather than this is actually an integral part of all of it. And, and as you sort of saying, like, we've come out of the huddle and we need to keep, you know, in that game, we need to be changing the rules on the fly. Hard, right? We can't huddle, change the rules, kind of like, okay, everybody got any rules. Now let's go out and play again. It's kind of, we have to be working this out and running and changing the rules on the fly. So
00:10:12
Speaker
You know, I do empathize with leaders, with managers, who are particularly managers who are sort of stuck in between the, you know, recognizing that they want to engage their younger workers, all of their workers, who are, you know, a lot of them are just simply not going back to the office, even if they have been mandated. And, you know, the higher ups who are saying, hey, look, we need everybody, you know, back in again, and that's going to be, you know, better. And they're like, so, you know, I.
00:10:41
Speaker
this is a tough situation as we're so much transformation is required.
Gen Z's Call for Flexibility and Empathy
00:10:50
Speaker
And you think about things and part of it honestly is a fundamental recognition that we never really actually designed how we worked properly.
00:11:00
Speaker
or at all. Everybody came to the office and said, okay, Megan, so this is what you need to do and that's what you need to do. And you sort of learned it very slowly over time. You had lots of time to sort of work it out and do it differently. And there weren't that many different ways to do it. Now there were so many more options and apps and
00:11:20
Speaker
And I need to be giving you more autonomy and all of those things which don't necessarily make me comfortable. And you're needing to do it much, much faster. And then we need to be worked together in more teams. So the whole way that I'm needing to manage and you're needing to work are changing significantly when we actually never sat down and said, OK, so if we could design this today,
00:11:45
Speaker
or the redesign or think about it properly for the first time, how would we do it? That's what needs to happen. And it's not what we've done in the past. Yeah. And that's, it's like one of the first articles I read for my grad program was on workplace design. Um, and like what people want, like what people actually want. I mean, it was like from the eighties, right? Like, but you read it, you're like, the relevance is still so strong today because like, again, humans are humans regardless of what generation we're in.
00:12:12
Speaker
um, we're wired for things like you mentioned, like autonomy, trust, you know, I know you speak heavily and work heavily on the concept of empathy. Like every human wants someone else to be a human with, right? Like that is empathy in its peers form. And so, um, it's funny that we are at this place where we're like, we had so long to like figure this out and it's not just happening like right now. It's just happening really aggressive. It feels very aggressively right now. Um, and then we're kind of coupling
00:12:42
Speaker
that it's not just Gen Z that's driving this, but they are kind of getting a little bit of the flack the most. And so that's kind of what like, let's take our left turn and really start to dive into that. I know you've you see it in the organizations that you work with, you have Gen Z in your life like many of us do.
00:13:01
Speaker
Why do you think we need to be paying attention to Gen Z at this distinct moment? And then also, why do we think they're getting so much, in some cases, so much heat for something that is actually pervasive across an industry in a workforce? So why do we need to be paying attention? Well, they're the engine of the future, right? Secondly, because they,
00:13:28
Speaker
I don't really like to differentiate between generations very much, but one thing that they, this is the generation that is the most, the first truly digital natives. And so they typically have, not everybody, but have a much more intuitive understanding of technology.
00:13:48
Speaker
And so if we're thinking about what's the best technology or the new developments or how we could be doing or providing our services differently or developing our products, having a Gen Z on the team as part of the decision process or brainstorming is going to be very valuable in terms of bringing their technology understanding.
00:14:10
Speaker
better than other generations for whom technology is more functional. It's not necessarily as infused and integrated in everything they do. So those two aspects of it. And the third is really, honestly, if you or I
00:14:32
Speaker
I've been in the workforce for longer than you have, and I love change. I love doing things differently, and I've worked in different countries, so I've seen lots of different ways of working. But many people have been working the same way for decades.
00:14:46
Speaker
or at least for many, many years. And so change is hard. As you said, stasis is what we like and what we're comfortable with. And so we want to be using the same kind of patterns of behaviors that appeared to work at the same time. Now, pre-pandemic, we were still straining against how things were changing. And they were changing. All these trends were there beforehand.
00:15:10
Speaker
But now that the future of work is here, now that we've integrated so much technology, we have to change how we're working. And if we look to what the agencies are looking for and asking for, they can really help us understand because they are the freshest, they're the most sort of naive and sort of mirrors reflecting what is necessary for the future of work. Working in different places, working with more flexibility, working with the technologies that we developed. We developed
00:15:40
Speaker
powerful mobile smartphones for a reason. We developed them so that we could be more mobile, so that we could do all these things on the fly when we wanted to have the autonomy, which was going to help us work better and work more effectively. So now we need to lean into it. Obviously, they're also showing us
00:16:00
Speaker
some of the challenges. And I was just actually posted today on LinkedIn about an article which was saying about how all these Gen Zs are now buying dumb phones. And I wouldn't necessarily call them dumb phones, but they're not as smart phones.
00:16:19
Speaker
in order to help them focus and help them not be as drawn into or, you know, helpfully addicted by the different social media companies to be spending so much time on their phone. So we also need to be helping all of us, all of ourselves manage the new technologies and the new services and applications that we've created.
Tech-Savvy Gen Z's Fresh Perspective
00:16:49
Speaker
I love that point and it echoes so much of what I tend to tell people when they look at Gen Z as like,
00:16:54
Speaker
this threat and this huge challenge that it's actually an opportunity that, again, you called that fresh perspective. Like it's an opportunity to have a new perspective on your team, which is so helpful. Like I think the newest person on your team is the greatest asset. And not just because hopefully you have a lighter workload or whatever that looks like, but you have a new perspective to get better.
00:17:19
Speaker
Right? Like, that's, but you and I tend to live on the positive side of life. The other thing that I think is just so important to reiterate is this idea that Gen Z did not just create all of this technology. And then they're, and no, they were taught how to use it. They were handed this. They weren't like six year olds creating Facebook, right? Like they were cognitively learning it.
00:17:46
Speaker
As it was role modeled by other generations and like that's an interesting interplay that is not when we look at generational study generations are reacting to the world in which they.
00:17:56
Speaker
in some cases, inherit. And that's how they develop their worldview. And so I think it's really unfair that we're out here being like, they're all addicted to the internet. We're like, they didn't create the internet. Like they didn't create smartphones. They didn't create all these things that they were taught. They were taught how to use it as a way of life. And so we can't super fault them, but we can help them. So I just, I really love reiterating those two things. We have a opportunity with this generation.
00:18:25
Speaker
to leverage what they bring to the table, but also to help them create a healthy habit of not only work, but like navigating life. And that's like our responsibility as older generations and other generations, but that's a conversation for another episode. How you other generations stopping mean could be another episode entirely.
00:18:48
Speaker
I think, you know, and working all together to try and work it out because, you know, there are certainly older generations who look at somebody in the workplace, you know, if they are in the office and there's a younger person and they're on their phone, they assume that they're on Facebook or, you know, whatever other app they could be using. They could be preferring to use some productivity tool on their phone because they, you know, they spend a lot of time in their phone and they may not like the interface as much.
00:19:15
Speaker
on the computer. So, you know, making these assumptions and just, you know, that comes to empathy in terms of like, don't make assumptions, please don't make judgments, ask, find out, and then it just is, it sort of lowers the conflict, lowers the tension, and it's easier to work together.
00:19:32
Speaker
Yeah, but what you're saying is do effective communication and try to be a human to one another, which sometimes is more complicated than we, it's sometimes more complicated than it leads itself to believe. All the world's problems, really. But when we think, you know, you brought up something really earlier in our conversation, and many times throughout our interactions is why we need to be listening to
00:19:58
Speaker
Gen Z specifically. Some of the things that they're talking about wanting flexibility, wanting autonomy, wanting trust, wanting like transparent and authentic leadership. Other people would say, yeah, but every generation wants that, you know, like that's, but they're saying it the loudest. They're saying it at an earlier age. Like we're drawing towards the fact that they're saying things that potentially older generations say at different phases in life. So it's almost like setting that trajectory earlier on, which I think
00:20:28
Speaker
also gives us the opportunity to anticipate and make changes because we are allowing ourselves to course correct earlier in the career trajectory of this generation. What do you think are some of those issues that maybe Gen Z is raising the red flag on that if they're not addressed and effectively kind of dissolved right now could cause big disruptions when it comes to Gen Z in the workplace? And what do you think organizations can be doing to address some of those things?
00:20:59
Speaker
Right. Well, I think also that we're at a different point now in terms of what the workplace is like and what the demands are and sort of the bar has been raised.
Complex Work Environment Needs Dynamic Adaptation
00:21:11
Speaker
So that if previous generations asked but didn't get it, which is part of the resistance from older generations, because they're kind of like, well, I had to put up with this, why can't you?
00:21:22
Speaker
Work is different. The nature of work is different. It is much less linear, slow, predictable. It is the opposite. It is we're working much more closely in teams. We're having to really adapt very quickly. We're getting feedback from the customers. We're needing to... It went from Microsoft Word being released every two or three years to having constant... Zoom released 400 new features over the course of 2020 alone.
00:21:51
Speaker
where we're in a cycle of constant update and upgrade, which means that anybody who's working with an app or technology is constantly, that's sort of the changing nature of how we're living. So work itself has changed and therefore the needs that
00:22:09
Speaker
Gen-C are raising these questions, these needs, these demands that they're talking about and raising with their team leads, which previous generations have been interested in, been looking for, maybe didn't feel that they had the right to speak up.
00:22:28
Speaker
these become that much more important. When we're thinking about mental health, when we're thinking about the instability of the workplace or their jobs, think about how generative AI and LLMs are now what
00:22:46
Speaker
In fact, I asked ChatGBT today, what are Gen Z really worried about when it comes to ChatGBT? It's going to be like, well, their jobs. So there are some really, really interesting opportunities and more choices for Gen Z, but also it's like, what's it going to mean for their jobs?
00:23:04
Speaker
There was a very interesting article in 2019 in the Wall Street Journal which said that graduating class, the graduating class of 2019, were going into jobs which were three to four years more advanced in the terms of the work that they were doing than previous generations because a lot of the really boring data inputting, really sort of tedious work had been automated away. Now how much more is going to be automated away? We don't know, but if you're coming into the workplace,
00:23:35
Speaker
how much it's going to be taking the level of advanced work up a few levels, I would have thought, over the next couple of years.
Supporting Gen Z's Career Development
00:23:46
Speaker
So I think the support that Gen Z's, that the younger employees
00:23:52
Speaker
are going to be needing, thinking about mental health, thinking about the instability, thinking about how much change there is, what they are going to be tasked with. These are, as I said, the stakes have been raised, the bar has been raised. And so some of these, we really need to be listening to what they're saying and recognizing the reality of what we're all dealing with
00:24:18
Speaker
and that they, as the youngest, least experienced people in the workplace, how they're reacting to it. So it sounds like one of the biggest disruptions we're going to have, based on what you're saying, is being comfortable with the fact that we now live in a world of work that is characterized by constant change in evolution.
00:24:37
Speaker
Now, we are good. If you think about, so I read something a few years ago, it said, you know, there's been incredible change since 1870. So 1870, we had no planes, no cars, no fridges, you know, I mean, the extraordinary change, the pace of change is what's sped up now. And so,
00:25:05
Speaker
And it was pretty fast. And we've been actually integrating AI for a long time. It's just now much more obvious to us in terms of being able to use generative AI and what that can do for us.
00:25:22
Speaker
So this, you know, sort of the changing environment and also, you know, something that the Gen Z's are really having to deal with, which is very related to this, is there are no, what I call continuous, linear continuous compounding careers, right? Careers now, there was an article in the FT in 2017, which said every individual should plan
00:25:51
Speaker
five careers over their lifetime. Five. And, you know, it means we have transferable skills, we have many more opportunities, you don't get stuck in something, but it also means we have choice, we have a lot more choice, we have to explore. 54% of Gen Z's in 2019, imagine they're going to do a job that doesn't exist yet.
00:26:11
Speaker
that's cool and also kind of scary. So, you know, we really need to be thinking about changing a different way. We're actually, human beings are very adaptable as much as we like habit, we are very adaptable, but we need to be thinking about what that means. And particularly for the least people, the people who are the least, have the least experience, like how are they going to navigate it?
00:26:37
Speaker
So I have a quick follow-up for you with thinking about that in mind as kind of like an undercurrent that's not only impacting Generation Z, but it's impacting all organizations and it's impacting all generations.
00:26:51
Speaker
When we narrow in specifically on Gen Z, what are maybe three things that we might need to specifically pay attention to as all of this is churning in the workforce? Really, where are we seeing, I don't want to say the pain points, but maybe the moments where we're seeing there is this difference in what Gen Z is looking for and hoping to get out of a workplace, a career, really a life in work.
00:27:18
Speaker
What are some of the things that we need to pay attention to as leaders trying to impact the lives of Gen Z? Culture.
00:27:28
Speaker
Timeless values within that culture that help ground employees, all employees, ground and connect people. So timeless values like empathy, like trust, like integrity, those are ones that can really help connect people wherever they are, the lived values that can be lived in and modeled every day. It helps connect people wherever they are and sort of ground them in terms of sort of being less distracted by all the changes going on around them.
00:27:56
Speaker
upskilling. So upskilling and helping Gen Z stay competitive. They are very
00:28:05
Speaker
aware that they have no job security. And in a changing environment, the ability to have financial stability is critical. That goes to a lot of things. It goes to side hustles. It goes to, I need to keep moving. I need to keep updating my skills. I need to keep exploring
00:28:27
Speaker
different options and skills and job role, all those things. This job hopping, I look as being exploring, but I think the more that as a leader, you can keep helping your team stay up, keep upskilling, keep learning, you're going to keep them. And that may be releasing them and helping them grow in another team in your organization. That means it takes some
00:28:53
Speaker
willingness to give somebody who's great and rising to somebody else, then maybe they'll come back again. So that's going to help the organization keep them. And I think there's also really been really thinking about this wellbeing support, the mental health issues. A lot of this is like creating the environment that they can flourish. And
00:29:15
Speaker
there is a lot of anxiety. And if we think about the anxiety about their jobs, the anxiety about financial security, what's my job
Redefining Traditional Work Contracts
00:29:23
Speaker
going to be? I have no idea. This is really exciting. This is also scary. All of these things just create the kind of grounding, nurturing environment that is just going to help them be able to engage in their work. And then, yes, try to help them understand their current skills, where they want to go, what their strengths are, and orient them towards that, and they'll engage.
00:29:46
Speaker
So really, it's all coming back to how do we design cultures and environments for people that are conducive and supportive and healthy and productive. So as much as we're trying to daydream towards the future, there's some some old school practices there that
00:30:02
Speaker
Maybe we just need to get back to basics is what I'm hearing as well. Basics? How much were they actually implemented? I mean, so many people stop saying, oh, well, remote working doesn't suit my culture. It's kind of like, well, the culture therefore
00:30:21
Speaker
wasn't strong and connective and helped develop trust-based and all those types of things. Otherwise, it would work in remote dispersed and distributed teams and organizations. So there are many ways that we have been working that haven't been
00:30:40
Speaker
supportive of the workforce. And this is one thing that I really do see about the future of work. It is that was highlighted during the pandemic, which is that the sort of social contract was broken. It's been broken for years. And this is now, it's not a question of power, like the employees have more power in this week for the recession and all of a sudden, it's much more about it was imbalanced.
Engagement Beyond Financial Incentives
00:31:06
Speaker
you know, in the 50s, 60s, employees used to have job security. They were looked up, they had job security, they could work, I mean, they maybe have had, you know, not such a pleasant work all their lives, but then they got to retire and then they, you know, at some point could be, you know, sitting on a beach somewhere or, you know, have some kind of, of
00:31:26
Speaker
existence after work that they could enjoy. Now all of those, the elements of that work equation, that job bundle don't exist anymore. And so we really need to be thinking about what the combination is. And if I'm going to be
00:31:41
Speaker
trying to get you and track you into my company and to do work. Because I'm not offering, I'm not going to be giving you any kind of retirement. I don't give you any kind of job security. What is the balance? What is a balanced equation that's actually going to help you engage with me?
00:32:00
Speaker
Yeah, that is such a heady topic that I'm sure you're working on figuring out, which is great because the world needs people like you.
Gen Z's Drive for Innovation and Growth
00:32:11
Speaker
Sophie, my last question for you, and I ask everybody, because this is what this podcast is all about, but what is your favorite thing about Gen Z? I know that you have Gen Z in your life, assuming numbers, children, but you certainly interact with them.
00:32:26
Speaker
What is your favorite thing about these wonderful young people, honestly? Yes. Well, I love to learn, and yet boy do my kids push back on me, but this
00:32:44
Speaker
desire this, they need to be learning. It's this constant learning, but I love that. I love the questions. I love the exploration, the idea kind of like, how can we do things? How can we be taking this information and that possibility and creating something new and different and testing things? So that's part of what really makes me excited about work and life and living.
00:33:10
Speaker
And that's very much a strong trait. And when they've grown up with smartphones, they've grown up with access to so much information about how different the world is all around, that they do bring a very different sort of possibility set in their discussions. And that I do love.
00:33:31
Speaker
that is uh they're very future oriented and like kind of like a realistic way too which i appreciate like they are wanting to learn and improve for not just themselves but other people and their communities um but this concept of learning and how that
00:33:46
Speaker
they kind of recognize what that endgame looks like. And I think that that's a really cool and mature thing they bring to environments and spaces that they are in.
Connect with Sophie Wade
00:33:55
Speaker
So, well, Sophie, I know that I just love learning from you and with you, but I know the listeners might also, what are some of the best ways that people can connect with you and learn with you as you're continuing to help workplaces and companies
00:34:11
Speaker
take it to the next level and step into the future in a pleasant and less scary change-minded way.
00:34:19
Speaker
Uh, thank you so much, Megan. Uh, so flex on network.com is my company. Sophie way.com also has lots of resources. I do have a podcast and I interviewed Megan. Great conversation we had then, um, transforming work with Sophie Wade. And I also had some courses on link video courses on LinkedIn, uh, on Gen Z on the future of work and also on empathy. So those can be beneficial as well.
00:34:44
Speaker
There's no shortage of things to learn from Sophie, so please go check out all those wonderful resources and be sure to follow along in those spaces because I know the content you put out is just so helpful and it certainly helped me reframe the way that humans are humans and they show up to work, regardless of what generation they are.
00:35:04
Speaker
And that's such an important thing. And now technology is really, really coming into it. We need to be even more human and really lean into that and all the human genius that we have. Yeah, it's true. And sometimes being human is hard. It is not an easy feat. It is not an easy feat. Well, Sophie, thank you so much for yet again, another fantastic conversation. I know I love spending time with you and I'm sure everyone has thoroughly enjoyed being able to spend time with you today as well.
00:35:34
Speaker
Thanks so much, Megan. Always a pleasure.
Creative Relaxation: Wango Puzzles
00:35:40
Speaker
If you love to relax at the end of the day or spend the weekend doing something a little bit creative and fun, puzzles can be a great activity. From puzzle games to crosswords, we're actually a household of puzzle people.
00:35:53
Speaker
And like many during the pandemic, we got into jigsaw puzzles. So I was really excited when we came across Wango puzzles. Wango puzzles are 100% wooden puzzles, so they last forever. And each piece is hand-drawn, so no two pieces are the same. And you kind of discover some fun, whimsy pieces as you work through it. They come in a custom wooden box, which is perfect for storage and gifting.
00:36:16
Speaker
Honestly, Wango puzzles are as visually stunning as they are fun to put together. It's like doing a puzzle and building a stained glass window at the same time. You should check out some of their awesome designs like the Elephant, Turtle, or Snow Globe. So what are you waiting for? Go to wongopuzzles.com, that's W-O-N-G-O, puzzles.com, and pick up your puzzles today. And be sure to use the promo code GENZ to get 10% off your order. Wango guarantees this is the most fun you'll have you've ever had with a puzzle or you'll get your money back.
00:36:46
Speaker
go to W O N G O puzzles.com. Use the code Gen Z to get 10% off your order and get to puzzling right now.
Closing Remarks and Future Episodes
00:36:59
Speaker
I want to share a big thank you to Sophie for joining me in this episode and helping us explore Generation Z and the future of work. As with each generation before, a new cohort of professionals will evolve the working environments. And Gen Z is no exception. Not only is Gen Z the newest cohort of professionals, but we're seeing the world of work change at such a rapid pace. In many ways, it feels like we're grappling with both a demographic shift and a larger environmental shift. Sophie has been someone that I've been so thankful to work with and get to know in the last year.
00:37:29
Speaker
to help think about a larger landscape of work and how it's shifting. But also how Gen Z is such an influential force in ushering in this future of work. This is a concept we're going to continue to explore in coming episodes of this season, especially as we dive into the lived experiences of Gen Z professionals. So with that, stay tuned for more episodes. They'll be coming soon. But the best way you can stay in the loop is to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
00:37:55
Speaker
And a rating and review helps other people with similar interests find the show and determine if it's good for their listening interests. More great conversations ahead in season five, but I'm always interested in the topics that we can explore together. If you have an idea or person I need to chat with, please reach out via my website, meganmgrace.com or on social media. You're a part of this learning adventure and I'm always happy to look more into something you want to learn about.
00:38:21
Speaker
Thanks for stopping by for this episode. Let's continue this conversation and we'll chat soon.