There has been a lot of discussion on the web about generations and their traits. It’s fun stuff to read and study, because we all have to deal with it every day in our careers. It’s one thing to think about it personally, but it’s totally another to navigate it in the professional world. What really excites me about learning more about Baby Boomers, Gen-X, Gen-Y and now Gen-Z is there are distinct differences in all of them. These differences are paramount when it comes to leadership style, behavioral attributes and how each of those groups vary in behavior as customers and as business leaders.
The hard part to understand, especially for the older generations is, Gen-Z, thinks quicker, wants information in much shorter bits, has a shorter attention span, is social media savvy and looks at 5 screens for multitasking. Wow!
Business Trends
When I started my career, the measurement timeframe for business trends was somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 years. It took that long before new ideas could be implemented and business cultures changed. Of course, technology, or lack thereof played a part in that timeframe. Well folks, that ship has sailed and we won’t see those long trends anymore. Those of us who are more seasoned in our career have already experienced those long trending periods. We are influencers in our career now, and realize a massive paradigm shift has occurred and it’s still changing.
Today’s business is not what it was even three years ago. Social media, mobile and predictive technologies have surfaced and gained more muscle, respect and validity then ever before. The once tried and true 40 page business plan is, dare I say, so outdated and not relevant anymore. Sorry business schools, no disrespect, I just don’t buy it any more. Gen-Z is the generation to focus on for brands. The trends in business have shortened considerably and new technologies have issued in the much shorter trending periods in which these businesses are measured. Gen-Z, this fits perfectly into your personality traits.
Here are some interesting facts from Mashable that help support the thought that business is moving faster and so are the next generation of business leaders.
- 76% hope they can turn their hobbies into full-time jobs
- 72% of high school students want to start their own business someday
- 52% use YouTube or social media for typical research assignments
- 41% spend 3+ hours a day on computers for non-school work related activities
- 33% watch lessons online
- 32% work with classmates online
- Gen-Z favors Snapchat, Whisper and Secret. If you don’t know what these are, you are definitely showing your age.
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Scott MacFarland
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Photo Credit: HubSpot
Source: http://mashable.com/2014/08/20/generation-z-marketing/