Gen Z Engagement Demystified with Coco Brown, CEO at The Athena Alliance and Britt de Visser, Chief of Staff at The Athena Alliance

d'Skills in Action

Ever wondered what's on the mind of a leader when they're working with someone from Gen Z like you?

In this episode, we're going to give you an inside look at how leaders think when they're trying to engage and motivate someone from your generation.

This show is all about breaking down what goes on behind the scenes to make Gen Z-Gen X working relationships successful.

Join us as we dive into the world of leadership through the unique partnership of Coco Brown, the Founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, and Brit De Visser, the Chief of Staff at The Athena Alliance.

Through their honest conversation, you'll get to peek behind the curtain and see how Coco, an experienced leader, keeps someone as talented as Brit (gen Z) engaged and excited about their work.

Coco embodies the kind of leader you aspire to work with, and by listening in, you'll gain valuable insights into how leaders like her think and make decisions.

This episode is your open door to expanding your connections....

So, put aside those textbooks for a moment, turn up the volume, and get ready to explore the world of leadership and Gen Z engagement with Brit De Visser and Coco Brown!

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Embrace Transparency and Dialogue

In our conversation, Britt emphasizes the importance of open communication and alignment between a company's mission and an employee's personal goals.

"I think it's really about transparency and dialogue. If you can align your company's mission and vision with their personal goals, it's just a win-win." — Britt de Visser

This alignment can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes...

"When you give somebody autonomy and trust, you're essentially saying, 'I trust that you know how to get to the destination. I don't need to map out every step of the journey for you.'" — Coco Brown

On the other hand, Coco highlights the value of trust and autonomy in empowering employees.

Trusting them to find their own way to achieve goals can be more effective than micromanaging.

Britt underscores that Gen Z individuals are often motivated by aligning their personal goals with a company's mission.

Trust and goal alignment can be key to their success.

Shift to a Partnership Mindset

I get to ask Coco’s thought on the importance of Gen Z employees...

and she stresses that Gen Z should be treated as partners and granting them autonomy and trust.

This approach fosters a sense of ownership and collaboration.

"With Gen Z, it's more of a partnership where you're saying, 'I trust that you have a unique perspective, unique skills, and unique ideas, and I want to leverage that. I want to harness that.'" — Coco

Coco highlights the shift towards a partnership mindset when working with Gen Z, acknowledging their unique contributions and ideas as valuable assets.

"It's not just, 'Hey, come here and do this task,' it's, 'Come here and let's collaborate on how we can achieve this goal together.'" — Coco

She emphasizes the importance of collaboration and shared goal setting when working with Gen Z...

moving away from a purely task-based approach, and the need for a more flexible and non-structured approach in today's world, aligning with the evolving nature of work and society.

Cultivating Autonomy, Embracing Continuity, and Nurturing Creativity

"It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. People who can identify problems and think about creative, practical solutions are valuable." — Coco Brown

To identify problems and proactively seek creative solutions while maintaining practicality, Coco promotes a culture of autonomy and encourages employees, regardless of generation.

She also suggests that the willingness of younger generations to question authority may stem from having access to a wealth of information and a more inclusive worldview.

Coco discusses how the concept of a continuum, particularly in areas like gender and sexuality, encourages a more questioning and non-binary approach, in contrast to the binary structures of previous generations.

"When everything is a continuum and gray, it's easier to orient yourself towards a position of 'why' as opposed to binary structures." — Coco Brown

This underscores the importance of embracing the idea that the world is full of possibilities and continuously expanding one's understanding, regardless of age or generation.

About Coco

Coco Brown is the Founder and CEO of Athena Alliance. Athena has helped thousands of leaders grow and advance in their executive careers and has brought over 400 women to corporate boards from growth stage private companies to name brand public companies. Coco has personally worked with hundreds of top leaders, CEOs and boards to evolve modern leadership. She’s served on ten commercial and non-profit boards and advisory boards, and has led two notable companies (Taos, acquired by IBM, and now Athena). She is part of Nasdaq's Governance Insights Council and is often called on to share guidance to the evolving focus and breadth of responsibility within the Modern Boardroom. Coco is the biological mother of 2 Native Digital Gen Z'ers, and the "second mom" to dozens more :). She's a firm believer is much of what Hannah has shared through her show.

Britt is the Chief of Staff to the CEO and Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Athena Alliance, an executive learning development ecosystem for executives. She's been at Athena for two and a half years. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2021 where she studied Psychology and Communication. She is originally from the Bay Area, and now spends most of her time in LA (when she's not digital nomading around the world).

Links & Mentions

Athena Alliance

Coco Brown | Britt de Visser