Gen Z in corporate: Gen Z are often credited with being revolutionary in their work habits. From redefining corporate trends to setting boundaries no millennial ever dreamed of doing, the status quo has not always supported this young generation. However, now, as they finally enter some leadership positions, Gen Z is on their way to bringing out some radical change in conventional corporate methods.
One such viral workplace trend, the 8-second filter, has put Gen Z leaders to the forefront, yet again. Redefining communication and workflows in the era of ever-decreasing attention spans, time is of the essence when it comes to scheduling daily meetings. And whether you are a digital nomad or a conventional corporate worker, this Gen-Z workplace trend might put a unique lens on your hour-long calls and meetings.
What is the 8-second rule?
According to Steven Robertson, founder-CEO of Bold Training, an author, trainer, life coach, and Harvard Business Review expert, the ‘8-second rule’ is the future of leadership and business success.
8-seconds, the average attention span of a Gen-Z, as per a Microsoft report, can be used as a super-power in the workplace. Using it as an ‘8-second filter,’ the rule acknowledges the fact that Gen-Z measures the fact that if a piece of information is worth their attention or not in 8 seconds. Anything beyond is often discarded as irrelevant data or acts as a diversion to other pressing matters.
This filter often acts as a relevant insight for managers and HR teams to lead and factor in upskilling their teams. Also called ‘micro-communication’, this is a digital-first approach that has seen an increasing impact in modern workplaces.
Will Gen-Z leaders scrap one-hour meeting slots?
It is not unusual that meetings run long, productivity is killed, and the overall tasks at hand are not achieved. However, many CEOs today are prioritising shorter meeting slots, as explained by millionaire coach Dan Martell on how he plans his day. Today, Gen-Z leaders are creating such trends, ditching the 60-minute ‘chats’ and using micro-communication tactics.
These may be as small as compressing meetings into emails and as streamlined as defining the objective in one-line agendas. From setting time limits to calls and specifying the purpose of a call, for example, ‘pick a launch date’. At the same time, if an attendee can’t define the objective of the call in 5-8 seconds, it is likely deprioritised.
In case a meeting is extremely necessary, 10-15-minute ‘micro-meetings’ set the tone for the day.