As managers, our most important tool is our ability to communicate with our team members.
Every generation enters the workplace with different experiences, expectations, and habits. While it is tempting to focus on what makes a generation unique, effective leadership often begins with understanding how those differences affect communication.
Recently, I came across a Japanese study examining communication patterns among Gen Z employees. The findings were interesting, but they also raised a question in my mind.
How much of what we are seeing is truly a Gen Z characteristic, and how much of it is simply what we would expect from employees who are early in their careers?
The Findings
The study found that Gen Z employees tend to speak less during workplace conversations, ask fewer questions, and communicate at a slower pace than older generations. During 1-on-1 conversations with managers, they also contributed less to the discussion overall.
If you have managed younger team members before, none of this may sound particularly surprising.
Many managers have observed similar patterns for years. New team members are often cautious, less confident, and more reluctant to speak up until they gain experience, confidence, and familiarity with their environment.
What caught my attention was a different finding.
The researchers noted that Gen Z participants used significantly fewer filler words such as “um” and “uh” than other generations. Rather than speaking freely and making mistakes, they appeared to be choosing their words carefully. That may be a sign that we are seeing a greater degree of caution rather than simple inexperience.
Where Friction Can Occur
The challenge is that managers and their team members often interpret the same behavior differently.
When a Gen Z team member remains quiet during a meeting, a manager may assume they have no opinion. They may simply be taking time to process the discussion before speaking.
When few questions are asked during a 1-on-1 meeting, a manager may assume everything is understood. The team member may actually be reluctant to ask a question that feels obvious or poorly thought out.
The study found that Gen Z employees asked less than half as many questions of their managers compared with older generations.
Interestingly, the managers in the study also appeared to struggle. When speaking with Gen Z team members, they tended to rely more heavily on yes-or-no (closed) questions than they did with other generations.
That finding resonated with me.
Several years ago, I supported the rollout of a coaching program for managers. One of my responsibilities was to participate in the final role-play evaluations and provide feedback to participants.
A common pattern emerged. Many managers struggled not only with asking open-ended questions, but also with sitting comfortably in the silence that followed.
During the role plays, I deliberately counted slowly to ten before responding to see how the manager would handle the silence. It was telling how often they jumped back into the conversation before I had said a word.
This is understandable. Managers are busy, and their time is limited. Yet if your team members need time to think, the silence may be where the real reflection happens.
Sometimes the most effective coaching move is simply to ask a good open-ended question and wait.
The silence can be excruciating at times, but resist the temptation to fill it yourself.
What Managers Can Do
First, do not mistake silence for agreement: If your team member has not spoken, it does not necessarily mean they have nothing to contribute.
Second, replace assumptions with curiosity: Questions such as “What are your thoughts on that?” or “How would you approach this?” often create better dialogue than “Do you understand?”
Third, be explicit: Managers sometimes assume context is shared when it is not. Clear expectations, specific examples, and direct communication reduce misunderstandings.
Finally, focus on psychological safety: This is a big one. Team members who feel comfortable asking questions, challenging ideas respectfully, and admitting uncertainty are more likely to contribute meaningfully. Questions are often a sign of engagement, not a sign of weakness.
A Final Thought
One lesson I have learned from working with professionals across cultures, functions, and generations is that communication challenges rarely belong to one side.
Perhaps some of these findings are unique to Gen Z.
Perhaps some simply reflect what we have always seen in younger team members.
Either way, the implication for managers remains the same.
Our job is to create the conditions and opportunities that allow our team members to communicate, contribute, and grow.
Hey there reader! Get more articles like this here.
Survey Referenced:Communication Characteristics of Generation Z 2024 Cognitee KK (Japanese Survey)