Blue Oceans, Rwanda

Guys, I never thought that I would be that person. You know, the one who says “ariko this generation Mana yange….” with a deep sigh. That used to be reserved for our parents but munange, life happened and now, here we are. 😂I am officially an auntie, not the rich kind🥹 but one rolling on vibes just. Anyway, dear Gen-Z, let’s talk about the so called “frustration” that Gen X and let’s be honest, some of us Millennials, feel when dealing with you. You have probably heard the usual. Gen Z is “too soft,” “too sensitive,” “too entitled.” I can’t be the only one that has heard complaints about how Gen-Z overshare online, disrespect authority, and have way too many boundaries, opinions, and emotions😂. Ngo you cancel plans, abruptly quit jobs, and talk about your anxiety like it’s a group project.😂 Then recently, I read a Forbes article that said 45% of hiring managers consider Gen Z the hardest generation to manage. The top complaints? You are not “reliable.” You set too many rules. You challenge norms. You won’t just follow orders. And I laughed. The thing is, I have worked with and continue to work with Gen Z. And yeah, it’s a whole experience. A beautiful, chaotic, wildly refreshing experience. Y’all are bold, smart, deeply self-aware, and emotionally fluent in ways that could take the rest of us decades to emulate. You care about mental health and accountability, you demand transparency and respect and believe work should make sense and be human.👌 You are not afraid to say, “This isn’t working for me,” and actually mean it. You have no fear to abruptly quit jobs, relationships, or group chats the moment they cross a line. And honestly? In my opinion, that there, is power. You see, Millennials and the generations before you were raised by people who worshipped hustle culture. We were taught that loyalty, overworking, and constantly proving yourself were a way of life. We were taught to stay late, say yes even when we mean no, and take pride in pushing through. We were taught to just do it and keep the peace. Boundaries? What were those? Then you Gen Z entered the chatroom. 😂 You showed up with your crystal clear boundaries, and your stunning ability to say, “This task is outside my scope,” to your bosses. Meanwhile, we are over here stunned, like, wait, what? Are you allowed to just say that? And feedback? Where we were trained to sandwich it between three compliments, you walk in just say, “None of this makes sense,” and go about your day. At first, it feels abrupt and sometimes even rude. But it’s not. It’s honest, direct and honestly, very refreshing. The truth is, you, my dear Gen Z aren’t the problem, you are the upgrade. You are pushing workplaces to be better, to be more humane, more accountable. You are forcing uncomfortable conversations and setting the bar higher, not just for yourselves, but for everyone around you. And yes, sometimes we clash when our Google Calendar energy meets your Google Docs. Or when our “just circling back”meets your “logged off for personal mental health days.” But that tension? It’s growth. Instead of side eyeing each other across the meeting table or the group chat, maybe we can lean in. You could teach us boundaries and courage. We could teach you patience and pacing. We can all get better. Thing is, both generations want the same thing and that’s peace, and at least one meeting that could have been an email.😉 Maybe,just maybe, we older gens can finally learn that respect doesn’t mean silence, and honesty doesn’t need to be layered for it to be valid. Sometimes, it simply sounds as simple as, “I won’t be responding outside working hours,” and you know what? that too is okay.