David Towler

Recent studies have found that Gen Z (individuals born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s) and who are graduating from colleges now, are posing a significant problem for employers these days.  Our clients are also complaining about the same things that these studies have highlighted.  It seems to be a nearly universal occurrence across North America.  The findings are concerning, widespread, and difficult to resolve.  None of this bodes well for employers or for young people entering the workforce.  Gen Z will overtake Boomers in the full-time workforce and so, employers (and the rest of us) will have to deal with them one way or another.

Corporate management is currently under siege, and senior leaders are retiring in record numbers. When these people leave the workforce, they’ll be taking years of training, knowledge, and mentoring opportunities with them.  Many of those left standing will not yet be ready to assume the responsibilities of the roles left vacant, and their organizations will suffer a variety of negative consequences unless they act proactively to ensure a smooth transition as senior team members age out of the workforce.  Savvy and forward-thinking organizations need to ensure that the next generation of managers is ready to step into leadership positions and be successful in them.

A 2024 report on “Communication in the Workplace Statistics 2024” indicates clearly that effective communication skills are critical skills for job success.  One might think that that’s a bit of a no-brainer.  However, this topic comes up again, and again, in workplace surveys and articles about career success, and has done for years.   Just one example is Debra Hamilton’s Top 10 Email Blunders That Cost Companies Money from fifteen years ago in 2009.

The statistics show that 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective collaboration and communication as the main causes of workplace failures.  Lack of effective communication creates big problems for everyone in many organizations.  According to the Workplace Statistics 2024 report, 70% of people surveyed believe that wasted time is one of the worst consequences of poor communication, and 81% of global recruiters believe that cross-cultural competence is the most important communication skill job candidates should have, followed by multilingualism (77%), and active listening (75%). 

CNBC recently ran an article about Mark Cuban and his February Master Class “Win Big in Business”.  According to Cuban, there are “two things that matter the most [when it comes to hiring people].  Are they competent enough to do the job?  And do they fit in the...

“I’m sorry for not getting back to you, I’ve been busy,” is a sentence that should be permanently excised from the lexicon of business.  That’s the default response that one often receives, and it’s nothing more than an excuse – and a poor excuse at that.  Few of us have enough hours available to complete our daily workloads, and many of us invest a great deal of our time in chasing others for replies to emails or calls that were placed days or weeks prior.  There’s also little excuse for it in the “be kind” era, and when practically everyone has an iPhone in their pocket. Being busy doesn’t make you special or unique. 
Everyone is ‘busy’.  Everyone’s time is limited.  We all resent having it wasted by other people who are time-sinks.  They are responsible for a great deal of lost productivity and wasted time.  It’s not only inconsiderate and somewhat arrogant but is also just garden-variety rude.  It’s also unprofessional.