We could go on complaining and complaining and getting angry for pages and pages for about a generation. But what's the use? Raising the index finger alone does not help. I hope everyone has realized: there is much to do to reconcile the generations.

What is needed are useful solutions for society as a whole, especially for business, politics, education and training. The fact that Generation Z is what it is has to do with the general social situation in Germany. Our prosperity is in danger!

But blaming Generation Z for this would be as grotesque as placing the burden of securing the country's future on them alone.

Generation Z is a hugely important driver of change in the world of work

In a study by the consulting firm Zeam68 and the market research institute Appinio, published by Wirtschaftswoche. About a quarter of the roughly 1,000 participants aged 16 to 25 said they did not feel taken seriously at work. “For 72 percent it is clear that it has nothing to do with their abilities, but only with their age,” Zeam explained on LinkedIn.

This means that young people feel that they are treated from above and that their ideas are dismissed. That does not work! Although it can be assumed, due to the hyper-emotionality of Generation Z, that perception does not necessarily correspond to reality, one thing is clear: the percentage is too high!

And the feeling of being devalued simply because of age must also be due to the behavior of older colleagues. That can only mean: we all have to contribute to a better coexistence between the elderly and the young. Anyone who honestly reflects on the concerns of Generation Z will, as I have, come to the conclusion that they are a hugely important driver of change in the world of work.

“Do what we do, the burnout generation”: that cannot be the answer

A CEO friend of mine, now in her 30s, wrote her master's thesis on the illustrious skilled worker shortage more than a decade ago. So it's no secret. As baby boomers retire, the German labor market will lose almost 13 million people by 2036 – that is, according to the Federal Statistical Office, 30 percent of those who were employed in 2021.

Since the 70s, nothing would have been possible without immigrants in factories, in city cleaning, in supermarkets, in local and long-distance transport, in crafts, in the elderly and in nursing homes. . For too long, many companies believed that machines would solve the problem and that Generation Z didn't really matter. They were collectively wrong.

As you read the last pages of this book, you will see why I say that young people bring many good things to the job market. Because many of the desires of Z-ers, for example regarding leadership, flexibility and honest feedback, are now demands of all generations. The crucial question is: How can we generate new desires for performance and work?

When we look for an answer, we cannot exclude any generation, especially Z, according to the motto “Do what we do, the burned generation.”

“When is Friday?” German apathy when it comes to work

But where do we start? In my opinion, the concept of work, which in our country is little understood. Work is something you have to do and don't want to do. A typical phrase is: “I can't, I have to work.”

Language shapes our thoughts and actions. And having to do it is the opposite of voluntary. Where there is coercion, the victim attitude is not far away. Already on Monday it is said between Flensburg and Füssen, Aachen and Görlitz: When is Friday?

The German welfare state also contributes to this apathy. Because honestly: in Germany no one has to work, the social hammock is very widespread and not only welcomes those in need, but also those who do not feel like working.

Saxon anthropologist Frithjof Harold Bergmann founded the “New Work” movement. A year and a half before his death, he gave an interview to ZEIT69 in November 2019 in which he justified his attitude:

“I wanted to get rid of this limitation and that's when I came up with the idea of ​​developing a work culture that allows people to do what they really want to do, instead of having to do it.” be something wonderful, the basis of a very full life. But in our culture there is a deeply rooted tradition that prohibits us from even perceiving work as pleasure.”

We have to design work in such a way that it is more satisfying.

Let's take their word and bring their thoughts to companies. Work can give us pride and self-esteem. Personal responsibility is good. Those who grow up in fragmented families are used to having a say in decision-making from an early age. Young people want to act autonomously and seek freedom to create, also with the intention of making a difference. The era of fat company cars and maximizing profits for its own sake is coming to an end.

The “happiness approach” is emerging, according to which companies take specific measures so that employees no longer find happiness in their professional work by increasing bonuses, but by increasing their self-esteem.

I firmly believe in the idea of ​​designing work to make it more satisfying. In leadership positions, this also means taking care and specifically supporting employees, because practiced strengths often bring moments of happiness.

Why does it take immense pressure for Germany to act?

So: stop complaining and talking, let's get to it! I am there, knowing very well that it is a work that can rival the great airport in Berlin. According to a general rule, German companies need around seven years to change their culture.

When I go out as a consultant, I often ask, “Were you working from home before the coronavirus pandemic?” Almost no one ever says yes. The pandemic brought with it the urgency to be more flexible. Suddenly, what had previously taken years happened at a rapid pace.

Why does it take immense pressure for Germany to act? We keep repeating the same mistakes, it seems now again. Instead of finally implementing the “New Work” idea, we are devoting energy and time to the utopia of introducing the four-day week across the board. Not all companies can afford to reduce working hours with a salary increase. Above all, this can only work if processes are optimized and at the same time the corporate culture is adapted.

The country can no longer avoid reforms. Generation Z punishes with absence anyone who does not finally bury the rigid models of hierarchy and leadership. Once everyone understands this, we will take a giant step forward.