Development???

I have had SO many questions this week about professional development for our younger employees - specifically those in their 20s to early 30s.

I feel uniquely qualified to answer these questions because the team behind me allows me to speak, coach, do group work, and become a better person, is entirely folks in their 20s.

It took me a while to figure out how to approach development for my team, and for younger folks in general - but through personal experience and a little bit of research, I feel as though I can confidently answer this question.

Research has shown that one of the greatest contributors to professional development is communication skills - specifically communication skills training, or working on communication skills directly with your team.

I incorporated this with my team when we first started, by discussing directly with my team how they communicate, and what communication styles worked best for them. It took me a little bit to adapt to their communication styles and understand how they worked, but it’s been worth every minute of effort.

Research shows that my experience is not unique - there are large differences between the way that people currently in their 20s and 30s, approach professional development differently than their peers. Workers currently in their 20s and 30s tend to prefer group work and small discussion, over lectures or individual trainings separate from their peers. Anecdotally, another example is being productive in a work environment. Many older workers believe that remote work leads to lowered productivity levels or poor communication. My team is the antithesis of this - they are extremely productive and highly communicative, even though we are all fully remote!

Though it can be intimidating to try and bridge this cross-generational divide, I have seen firsthand how wonderful it can be to connect with our younger team members. And how beneficial it can be to engage in professional development that is tailored to them and their needs!

All of this has inspired me to offer professional development training for Gen Z employers, and Gen Z employees. After seeing how much professional development my own team has undergone, and how incredible it has been for myself and my business, I would like to extend this knowledge to other people who may benefit from it!

If you’re interested in expanding your professional development, or you have a lot of young people on your team, please reach out to me for a free consultation. I promise that I will work with you to create the training that your team needs, and will truly benefit from.

Reith-Hall E, Montgomery P. Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers. Campbell Syst Rev. 2023 Feb 23;19(1):e1309. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1309. PMID: 36911865; PMCID: PMC9949884.