Hi Reader,

Last week, a manager told me: "I can tell my Gen Z employees hate our team meetings. They're polite, but they're clearly checked out."

When I asked about the meeting structure, here's what I heard:

• Weekly 60-minute team standup
• Round-robin status updates
• Manager announcements
• "Any questions?" (crickets)

No wonder they're checked out.

The Traditional Meeting Formula That Fails

Most team meetings follow this pattern:

1. What did you do last week?
2. What are you doing this week?
3. Any blockers? (silence)
4. Manager updates/announcements
5. End with vague "any questions?"

From Gen Z's perspective, this is information that could have been a Slack message.

What Gen Z Actually Values in Meetings

Recent research from Gartner shows Gen Z employees find meetings valuable when they include:

✅ Problem-solving (not just problem-reporting)

✅ Skill development (learning something new)

✅ Strategic context (understanding the bigger picture)

✅ Collaborative decision-making (their input matters)

✅ Clear outcomes (specific next steps)

The Meeting Format That Works

Here's the structure that gets Gen Z engaged:

Minutes 1-10: Context Setting "Here's what's happening in the bigger picture and why your work matters..."

Minutes 11-25: Problem-Solving Session "We're facing X challenge. Let's brainstorm solutions together..."

Minutes 26-35: Learning Moment "Sarah, you mentioned trying a new approach last week. Can you teach us what you learned?"

Minutes 36-45: Decision Time "Based on our discussion, here's what we're going to try. Who's taking what action?"

Notice the difference? Every minute has purpose, everyone contributes, and everyone leaves with clear value.

The Psychology Behind It

Gen Z grew up in highly interactive digital environments. They expect:

• Participation (not passive listening)
• Relevance (information that affects them)
• Efficiency (no wasted time)
• Recognition (their contributions acknowledged)

Traditional meetings violate all four principles.

A Real Success Story

A software company I consulted with redesigned their weekly meetings using this format. After three months:

• Meeting attendance improved from 67% to 94%
• Post-meeting action item completion rose by 52%
• Team engagement scores increased 31%
• Gen Z employees started volunteering to lead sessions

The Learning Integration Strategy

Here's the game-changer: Gen Z loves meetings where they learn something new.

Try rotating a 10-minute "teach the team" segment where different employees share:

• A new tool they discovered
• A process improvement they implemented
• An industry trend they're tracking
• A skill they're developing

This transforms meetings from information dumps into growth opportunities.

Your Meeting Makeover Challenge

This week, redesign one recurring meeting:

1. Cut the status updates (move to async communication)
2. Add a problem-solving segment (bring a real challenge)
3. Include a learning moment (someone teaches something)
4. End with specific commitments (who's doing what by when)

The Engagement Multiplier

When Gen Z employees see meetings as valuable, they bring their full energy and creativity. They start contributing ideas, volunteering for projects, and becoming more invested in team success.

The ROI of Better Meetings

Companies that redesign meetings for Gen Z engagement report:

• 43% increase in innovative solutions
• 38% improvement in project outcomes
• 51% reduction in follow-up communications
• 29% boost in overall team morale

Next Week's Focus

September's final newsletter reveals the recognition strategy that motivates Gen Z more than traditional employee-of-the-month programs.

Keep engaging,

Dr. Colleen

P.S. I'm putting the finishing touches on a complete Gen Z management system that includes meeting templates, communication frameworks, and step-by-step implementation guides. The response from early testers has been phenomenal. Launch details coming very soon...