"No one is harder on a talented person than the person themselves" - Linda Wilkinson ; "Trust your guts and don't follow the herd" ; "Validate direction not destination" ;

March 06, 2025

My Experience and Ways of Working with Gen Z Peers

After a long time, "Dude" and "Bro" have made their way back into calls.

My Approach

When it comes to working, I tend to rely on the basics — focusing on a more collaborative approach. Instead of pushing hard on deadlines, I think about how I would solve a problem myself and use that mindset to guide others.

Managing Challenges

Every day brings a new set of challenges. We are constantly racing against time versus quality. There are always different solutions, but on a personal level, how do I ensure I don't burn out?

For me, it comes down to knowing my work, staying open to learning, and balancing outcomes.

Working with Others

When collaborating with a co-worker or junior, I make it a point not to simply hand out instructions like "do XYZ" or "complete ABC."
Many times in my own experience, I’ve only been given instructions — "do this, do this."
But my style of execution is more like: "If I were to do this, how would I approach it?"

Balancing Time and Quality

Rather than passing along time pressure, I try to share ideas about what we can realistically accomplish within a given timeframe. This helps us make trade-offs between time and quality.

Time is important.
But quality always speaks above everything else.

It's tricky to strike the right balance, ensuring the output meets the bar without putting too much pressure on yourself or the team.

Building Trust

Within the team, cultivating a culture of trust is key.
It's not about rolling up your sleeves for everything, every moment, every hour.

It’s about doing the best you can, without blocking others or creating unnecessary pressure.
Be clear on what you want to do and how you plan to achieve it.

Unless you have clarity on how something can be done in limited time, just assigning it as a task adds more pressure.

Collaboration becomes even more important under intense pressure.
It should never be reduced to one-way communication like, "do this, do this."

"Collaboration under pressure is not about commands — it's about clarity, trust, and shared perspectives"

Keep Thinking!!!


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