Cracking the Gen Z Code with Tamika Smith

I have a treat for you today. My guest specializes in Gen-Zers, but I'd like for her to say a little bit more about herself. Welcome Tamika Smith.

Tamika

Yes, I'm so happy to be here. I am Tamika. I am the self-proclaimed GenZologist  in the building. I love working with or future leaders. I'll go into more details about what AGE RAGE that is.

However, I love to coach and to talk to them about lifestyle and self esteem. I am also a professor of psychology at the local community college here in Pennsylvania where I live.

Heather-Dawn

Thank you for taking the time to spend with us today. We truly do appreciate it.

The workplace is one that has several generations these days, and each one has their own code.

Understanding how to interact with each other is vital for a team to truly function cohesively.

So when we say Gen Z, what age group are we referring to?

Tamika

Well, statistics have it differently. So some stats say eight to 23, others 10 to 25.

But it's after the millennial birth years, which is 1995 to 2012.

Typically, what I choose to cater to is the 14 to 23 year old population because I find them to be easier to have a conversation with than an eight year old.

Heather-Dawn

So in our workplace or in your work environment, anyone through age23 or younger, we would consider a Gen Z colleague or team member.

As I was saying there are so many generations and each one seems to be operating with their own culture codes.

Each one of us expects everyone else to do things our way, the traditional way. So what are some traits that we should recognize or be aware of with Gen Zs?

Tamika

First of all, I want to dismantle a myth about their generation. Because most people think they are the digital ones, but a word that they use is the phygital world, which is a cross between the digital and the physical.

But there's this book called Gen Zs at Work by David Tillman.

They did a study on communication, the biggest thing for any workplace.

It is what can cause issues with cultures in the workplace and how things are communicated to and from people. Gen Zers would want to communicate with their peers, their bosses or coworkers.

When they did that study, they found that 84% of Gen Z prefers to communicate face to face.

It is amazing because the millennials actually prefer to just send an email or a text.

The reason why is because they're phygital, and they are looking to do things the fastest way, the most effective way possible.

So if that means seeing it to my face, seeing it quickly, or being direct, that's the best way for them to be able to understand.

I think that breaks the barrier with the culture codes.

I was also reading something where it said, you train millennials in the workplace, but you get to know, the Gen Zers.

In the workplace, I feel this generation has their ears to the ground. They understand politics and what's happening with their finances.

They feel like they know so much on their own with the access to information that they have.

And so it's almost like our responsibility, the millennials, Gen X, and boomers, to really get to know them so they can become effective in the workplace.

Heather-Dawn

That is so interesting, because if you had asked me before this conversation, I would have said, they are texting even if somebody's sitting beside them rather than verbalizing their thoughts.

So that's an eye opener for me to hear. It's also encouraging that they want you to get to know them because different barriers can be put up based on the attitude that people have towards work.

So let me ask you this. What are some expectations that Gen Zs have in the workplace?

Tamika

They’re very realistic.

Compared to my generation, they grew up in more of an economic expansion with boomer parents.

They're very realistic.

They're in survival mode most of the time that I've communicated with some of them, but it’s not a fault of their own.

As far as expectation goes, they put a high value for mental health and advocacy.

And so you can expect that this generation is Heike on emotions.

They are very sensitive to the things that could be said to and about them, which is why getting to know them is important.

So you can expect them to be very advanced in some of the things that they know, because they are quick learners.

While it may take us and older generations to try to find something out, they've already found a five-second video on how to do this.

And they're trying to convince you “why this five second video is irrelevant for me” to show you why you are wrong versus you reading a whole book.

And so they may be offended.

I think the best way to communicate to them in the workplace is from a place of real, like a realistic standpoint, like a role play.

I see that you want to implement this thing. You find it easier because you found this video on TikTok, and you think this is going to work.

But let's piece this through. Let's put a little bit of both.

They're not big on collaboration, which is why they find things so quickly.

As you’ve met Paige, she's in school to be physician assistant, and when I told her I was doing this podcast, she said I always wanted to be an adult. I just love flossing. 

They love doing something, and they’re going to figure out how to make a career out of it.

And so when they come into traditional workspaces, they're eager to put into place the things that they have learned from what they've been passionate about

The best way I find to get them to be more of a team is to motivate them to collaborate some of their ideas, because they'll rather work on their own thing to make this space more manageable for them.

Heather-Dawn

I'm a little conflicted here because one case we're saying that they're quick, they just want a quick answer, and they want you to understand why this quick answer is it.

But if we're speaking about collaboration, how would we unite that group? If one group just wants to quick thing – “here we go,” and then another group is “let's work this through, let's see what works, let's test, and see and move from there.

As someone who has a team with a wide range of ages, it's important to know to understand the little nuances.

Tamika

I've worked directly with teenagers, specifically between the ages of 15 and 19 before my role was a job coach.

This was in more of a predominantly underserved area of New Jersey.

And what I've found is that depending on the culture and depending on the class, you may find different levels of motivation.

And so we, you know, the context that I live in now is more middle to high class, predominantly white. And I found that they're more willing to help, they're more willing to collaborate, and they're also big in ideas.  And it comes from exposure.

And then when I worked in the underserved community, they're more entrepreneurial and wanting to work on things very quickly and by themselves because in their mind I need to get out of what and where I'm living.

So that's why I stressed the importance of when you do have someone from this generation on your team, get to know their personality in order to see how best they fit in this team.

Because a big thing for me personally, when I'm looking for something, I want to see if it is a good fit for me and if I am a good fit for you.

Don't leave them hanging with an expectation that they'll just figure it out and fit in as business as usual. They (Gen Z) are not business as usual kind of generation. They want to move on to the next thing.

Heather-Dawn

So I'm going to drill down on this mental health care because in my generation boomers, it was almost taboo. You sucked it up and you dealt with it. And so to be in an environment where we're looking at almost the opposite, how do we navigate our way through that?

Tamika

I think it would do every Boomer good to go to a therapist one time because I hear even from my parents, “I would just love to try it out as far as therapy is concerned.”

Talk to someone, because the thing about this generation as well and mine being a minute millennial, it could be very trendy, which is breaking generational curses.

This is a very trendy say in this in this generation now, and that is to not carry over trauma. The thing is that most boomers think that you get over it, and it gets stronger.

But what millennials do is I don't want to be like my mother. I don't want to just get over it. I want to uproot whatever it is. I want to talk about it and to be able to not pass that on.

Then, you have the Gen Zers, who are any little thing happened there.

They're use words like “I'm triggered.”

Anything makes them from one extreme to the next.

Exactly they have the expectation and the sensitivity of mental health, which is almost a little bit abusive in this age, but at the same time, it is worth stopping and looking into.

My recommendation is for a team like yours to have retreats or moments when they could breathe instead of feeding anxiety.

So I teach both at the college and high school.  

I challenged my students to find a cause or something to care about or burden them or something that breaks their heart that they want to see a change in because it's there and they don't want to wait until that thing hits them.

So when you find out what is it that breaks your heart or what is it that that burdens you, you can put your energy into that and it helps you to channel those areas that make you anxious.

Instead of being anxious about every little thing is to put in your anxiety to work. And so I think in any workplace, prevention from those breakdowns is important.

How can you have someone from a clinic come in and talk to the team? How can you have moments?

Because a lot of people are “go, go, go” in this generation, and they're on their phone a lot.  They escape into the digital reality to take breaks.

To combat that, you need to create more group moments so that they no longer have to escape, which is what the detriment they’re experiencing.

Heather-Dawn

Well, I love the fact that we should focus on different personalities. Whenever I'm hiring someone, I have them do personality tests, so I can understand how this person functions, how they need to be supported, and how we can support their strong points so that they can shine. So I love that.

I think that what you said about mental health and the extremes of views on therapy, people are moving more towards the middle.

Well, boomers are not as averse to therapy as maybe they used to be.

I also think that there's still a lot to be learned about someone who takes breaks on their phone especially during work hours when you're looking over your shoulder and thinking, "Okay, she should be breaking room, she's on the phone, or he will be setting an appointment."

He's on the phone and how to get around that because it's not an easy pill to swallow for someone who is expecting people to push through and hit the grit and the grind because this is what we need to do to thrive.

So let's flip the switch. What advice would you give to a dental team member who is a Gen Z? So we've spoken a lot about the team and how they should approach and what they should look at for a team per team member who is Gen Z but now let's look at it from the flip.

Tamika

I guess the first thing that comes to my mind is to be open minded.

From the Gen Z, as I have been around with, some of them are very eager to learn. I would encourage them to be open to learning everything that takes place, be assertive, and very direct when feedback doesn't feel good.

Instead of being so quick to head to Snapchat and Instagram until everybody else, take offense, and quit, be very direct with the person who gave you the feedback so that you're dealing with the feedback, very head on.

Heather-Dawn

That is so good, because you are so right. When Gen Zers are offended, rather than dealing with it with the person who you may have thought created the offense, they are already gone.

As the truth is that sometimes if you took the time to talk it through, you would realize, they may have said or done something offensive, but there may be some truth to what is being said.

As adults, we should be able to discuss it. And hopefully, with a team where you have people from various generations, we can learn from each other.

As when you have people who are different from you, there are pros and cons.

There are things that will pick up, and there are things that you decide, “I'm just gonna leave that there.”

But I think in the end, you're better for having had that diversity.

So this audience is really the dental team, which is the dental assistant, the dental hygienist and maybe some dentists are listening in as well. But we focus primarily on the dental assistant and the dental assistant is what I refer to as the glue.

That's the person (dental assistant) who the patient confides in, that's the patient person who updates the doctors to what's going on, that helps us set up the room, that clean up things afterwards, and that is the number one person to have in your office.

And so we have a wide range of dental assistants. And so this information is so good that people will have to listen to a couple of times to say “Okay, yeah, now I get it.”

So I always like to end the podcast with a quote, do you have one that you'd like to share with us today to make up?

Tamika

There's a quote that I heard in a in a dancehall song. It's appropriate. I promise, but it is by an artist named bugle.

And he says “If you blame life, you blame who gives it so don't blame my blame the way that you live it.”

The whole idea is that no mistakes are made with your life. And if you don't like how you are living it, you have the opportunity to fix it.

Heather-Dawn

I don't know him but I agree with him. That is good advice, Mr. Bugle. Thank you very much.

And thank you to make up for listening to that. So you could pull that out because that definitely is a gem for anybody at any age.

Well, it has been such a pleasure to have you to be able to talk with you to unpack a few things.

You have to promise me one thing Tamika. You will come back and share with us on another occasion.

Tamika

Thank you for having me!

Heather-Dawn

I think that we really did crack the Gen Z code today.

• Gen Zers communicate face to face, and they want you to get to know them. So make the effort to learn more about those Gen Z teammates.
• Gen Zers has a high value for mental health, and they’re easily triggered. They may escape into a digital reality, so you always see them on their phones.
• They have a very high regard to advocacy. Their life must matter in some shape or form.
• Gen Zers are eager to share what they've learned.
• If you are a Gen Z listening today, be open minded, be assertive, and be direct in your response rather than heading to the internet to vent.

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This is Episode 23 of my Irreplaceable Dental Assistant podcast.

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