tap away . Within four years , these individuals will represent nearly a quarter of the population — and their attention will be harder to capture and hold than ever . Data compiled by CMO by Adobe suggests that Gen Zers use five screens a day on average ( i . e ., smartphone , tablet , TV , desktop , and laptop ) — as compared to millennials , who use just three . What ’ s more , Gen Zers are far more social than their forerunners , spending up to eight hours a day interacting with friends and family : they love opportunities to interact . But when you ’ re attempting to lead or communicate with them , it ’ s also vital to keep in mind that , as a result of growing up in a wireless world , their average attention span now lasts just eight seconds — less than that of a goldfish . As you can see , providing clear , concise and engaging messages as part of communication efforts will be the key to engaging them . Rest assured , engaging them will indeed be vital to ensuring your organization ’ s future .
Ways to Engage As you go about empowering tomorrow ’ s leaders , as well as designing programming and outreach efforts that support your endeavors , you ’ ll want to keep the following items in mind : l Map Out Your Goals . Gen Y and Gen Z groups will expect clear goals , an engaging variety of assignments to tackle and to work for organizations with a go-getting attitude that encourage people to speak up , collaborate and be more proactive about sharing and acting on ideas . l Education is Key . Both generations will demand greater access to professional training and development programs , as well as more hands-on opportunities to expand their experience and skill sets . l Be more than a leader , be a mentor . Going forward , young professionals will seek more mentorship and ongoing feedback in the workplace , and look to you for additional guidance , as the skills in-demand tomorrow will look far different than the ones in-demand today . l Encourage teamwork and positivity . You ’ ll need to educate these natural-born innovators that teamwork and a winning attitude will be key concepts to embrace as projects become more complex , and a growing number of generations and backgrounds collide in the workplace . l Be transparent . Gen Y and Gen Z will increasingly look to your leadership to provide guidance and ongoing input about what ’ s going on in the organization , as well as ways that they can personally contribute to the cause and make a difference . l Encourage learning the basics . Keep in mind that it will be necessary to help these generations master multitasking and time management skills , as professionals will growingly be forced to make important decisions faster than ever in tomorrow ’ s business world .
Hoping to better connect with these generations moving forward ? It helps to understand three key points . Firstly , in looking ahead , Gen Y and Gen Z will want to work for
30 PULSE ■ March / April 2017