Grappling with the Gray #109: Committing to which ethic?

When both sides are wrong, who's right?

That's the question that drives the conversation when Amii Barnard-Bahn, JD, PCC, CCEP, Kimberly Davis, and Mary Beth Molloy join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic:

A recent article in Newsweek reported that 83 percent of Gen Z frontline workers are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, with a third of those considering quitting their jobs.

Earlier this month, however, Forbes, Inc.com, and Euro News all ran stories about employers firing their Gen Z employees. The reasons include lack of motivation, poor communication skills, and lack of commitment to the job.

For their part, younger workers want to feel a sense of purpose at work and want to have a life outside of work.

All of which creates a kind of standoff. As much as we actively promote work-life balance, it appears that many employers from the older generation don’t really appreciate employees who demand it. On the other hand, if our culture is intended to be a meritocracy, why should employers invest in workers who justify their own lack of work ethic because they claim to feel unfulfilled in their jobs?

An ethical culture is built on principled compromise, communication, commitment, and reasonable expectations. Can older employers and younger employees find a way to meet in the middle, or is this a case where the unstoppable force has met the immovable object?

Meet this week’s panel:

Amii Barnard-Bahn is a C-suite Coach & Consultant, specializing in Ethical Workplace Culture and Leadership.

Kimberly Davis is an author, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Brave Leadership University, leading development programs world-wide, around authentic leadership, purpose, presence, and influence.

Mary Beth Molloy is a Certified Executive Coach. She is President of MBM Elevate, CEO Group Chair of Vistage Worldwide, Inc., and national board member of Per Scholas, a nonprofit that provides no-cost technical training to individuals often excluded from tech careers.