How to help Gen Z overcome deliberation paralysis

Generation Z employees are less inclined to rely on their instincts for decision-making, preferring data and external validation, a shift that could influence future leadership styles, emphasizing thoroughness and collaboration, according to a new Marlee study. To help Gen Z learn to trust their gut, Michelle Duval, Marlee's founder and CEO, recommends giving them clearly defined roles, mentors and gradual exposure to making decisions on their own.

Put it into practice: Gen Z team members can be taught to sharpen their instincts, says Jaycee Schwarz, talent acquisition specialist at Prizeout, but transparency and collaboration have been their modus operandi. This can lead to longer decision times, but Schwarz says it also "promotes a workplace culture of thoroughness and collaboration, where people are intentional and willing to ask questions. This can lead to a more inclusive, communicative team dynamic."

Procrastination and delaying tasks are often confused, but they stem from different issues, writes Shani Magosky, who offers advice on overcoming both to achieve end-of-year goals using a comparison of those who enthusiastically buy pumpkins early versus those who procrastinate on Halloween costumes. Magosky suggests reflecting on the reasons behind procrastination, such as fear or overwhelm, and prioritizing tasks that truly matter.

Put it into practice: Delaying an action or decision because you're tired, have more important priorities or need time to cogitate beforehand is not the same as procrastination, which can stem from fear or feeling overwhelmed, Magosky writes. "Grace is in order here, not labeling myself as a procrastinator."

Make your writing come to life by finding the "push-and-pull" in the narrative to reveal underlying challenges and achievements, add intriguing statistics, colorful details and meaningful quotes, writes Jim Ylisela of Ragan Consulting Group. "Focus on the story, not the package it came in. It's not about a meeting or event. It's what happened there that readers will care about," Ylisela notes.

Put it into practice: Don't let the story get in the way of the one thing you're trying to convey to your audience; instead, organize everything to support your main point and hold your reader's attention, Ylisela advises. "Communicators write for an audience of skimmers and scanners, and they'll leave the moment something more interesting comes their way."

Golden Krust CEO Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson is on a mission to preserve the deeply held family values of hard work and community service that have been part of the 110-unit Caribbean fast-casual chain since her siblings started the company 35 years ago. "We may experience internal tension at times between tradition and innovation, but our mentality is that culture can both be preserved and evolve over time," says Hawthorne-Robinson.

Dogs from coast to coast are tolerating Halloween wigs, hats and costumes and parading in public without a hint of shame. Some of the parades raise funds for causes like dog parks and veterinary care funds.

Humans are natural storytellers. Don't believe me? Just listen to a kid trying to wriggle their way out of trouble. They'll tell you a good story in a heartbeat!

We build our lives on a set of narratives that we shape into our worldview and the stories we tell about ourselves (and the stories we tell to ourselves). Stories have the power to change systems, elect people to office and make us believe we can do anything we set our mind to. Stories, in short, make or break this world.

This is why we need to learn the art of telling a good story. We love to see the hero overcome challenges and setbacks. That's the tension Jim Ylisela urges us to find to make our story captivating. We also need to bring some humanity to our narrative and make everything that we write support the main point we're trying to make.

As leaders, we influence others by the stories we tell. Are we telling inspiring stories that engage our teams to succeed, or are we telling stories that demotivate others or tempt them into apathy? If it's the latter, Ylisela's advice could be an excellent place to start to learn how to tell better stories.

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