Bookmark: 5 Reasons Why ‘Gen Z’ Is Struggling In The Workplace—By A Psychologist
The article examines the difficulties Gen Z faces as it enters the workforce, attributing these challenges to diverse factors such as emotional awareness, communication styles, feedback expectations, value alignment, and unmet workplace expectations. It highlights the complexity of balancing empathy with professionalism, emphasizing the need for managerial adaptation to these new communicative and value-driven dynamics. Surveys indicate high levels of burnout and job satisfaction issues among Gen Z, underscoring the disparity between their expectations and workplace realities. Despite their tech-savvy nature, Gen Z still grapples with soft skills, requiring patient mentorship in adapting to work environments. The article suggests that fostering a culture of open communication and feedback can help bridge generational gaps, with managers playing a crucial role in facilitating this transition by actively listening and recognizing Gen Z’s contributions. This aligns with the view that embracing continuous learning and adaptability is essential in today’s evolving workplace. Balancing Gen Z’s unique approach with strategic managerial support could harness their potential, fostering a collaborative environment that benefits all.
5 Reasons Why ‘Gen Z’ Is Struggling In The Workplace—By A Psychologist
Featured writing
Why customer tools are organized wrong
This article reveals a fundamental flaw in how customer support tools are designed—organizing by interaction type instead of by customer—and explains why this fragmentation wastes time and obscures the full picture you need to help users effectively.
Infrastructure shapes thought
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
Server-Side Dashboard Architecture: Why Moving Data Fetching Off the Browser Changes Everything
How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had.
Books
The Work of Being (in progress)
A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.
The Practice of Work (in progress)
Practical essays on how work actually gets done.
Recent writing
We always panic about new tools (and we're always wrong)
Every time a new tool emerges for making or manipulating symbols, we panic. The pattern is so consistent it's almost embarrassing. Here's what happened each time.
Dev reflection - February 03, 2026
I've been thinking about constraints today. Not the kind that block you—the kind that clarify. There's a difference, and most people miss it.
When execution becomes cheap, ideas become expensive
This article reveals a fundamental shift in how organizations operate: as AI makes execution nearly instantaneous, the bottleneck has moved from implementation to decision-making. Understanding this transition is critical for anyone leading teams or making strategic choices in an AI-enabled world.
Notes and related thinking
Bookmark: Gen Z workers think showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as being on time
Explore the clash between Baby Boomers and Gen Z over punctuality in the workplace, revealing how attitudes towards time impact productivity and collaboration.
Bookmark: A psychologist explains what Gen Z should be striving for at work (hint: not happiness)
Gen Z should prioritize workplace engagement over fleeting happiness to achieve lasting career fulfillment and drive organizational success.
Bookmark: Gen Zers are being branded as unemployable. Here’s what they can learn from the top 1% of applicants
Gen Z can boost their employability by learning from the top 1% of candidates. Discover key strategies for success in a challenging job market.