About Spring
A talent development agency focused on supporting the youngest generation of leaders (Gen Z) and the companies that hire them.
Prologue: Why Gen Z?
For the last several years, I have focused my metaphorical binoculars on Gen Z, studying their persuasions, ignitors, inhibitors, habits and interests.
As the Chief Talent Officer at TRG Arts, Gen Zers were becoming part of my team, and they were filling the administrative ranks of the clients I stewarded. Oh, and I have one! A bright, passionate and talented daughter who both inspires me … and confuses me.
Over 1/3 of the world’s population today is a Gen Zer (Deloitte). And they are entering the workforce at high speed, but under peculiar circumstances. They have been isolated from the world—not just by COVID, but by the way we have shielded and managed them.
While I am inspired by their creativity, their values, their passion and their entrepreneurial spirit, I also see gaps in their experience. They don’t have an opportunity to collect implicit smarts. Yet the world is relying on them to take on some very big issues.
Chapter 1: Digging into the Data
Seeing all this in my personal and professional life, I started digging into the data around Gen Z.
Born in 1997 and after, they are tech natives, and they are on track to be the most educated generation of all (Pew Research). They value diversity and inclusivity; they are entrepreneurial and want to start their own nonprofits (Deloitte).
But Gen Z members feel unprepared for a successful life. Only 16% of 15- to 25-year-olds believe local schools prepared them “very well” for success at this stage in their lives (Walton Family Foundation). This means that nearly 84% of Gen Zers do not feel ready for their future! Couple this with findings from a study by Deloitte:
“Yesterday’s entry-level work mostly revolved around repetitive work—stocking mailrooms, answering phones, or making copies. Today, many organizations ask their entry-level workers to wrangle with data, perform research, and program advanced technologies.”
Building on this research, I began gathering data directly from Gen Z. I worked with my alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and their student-led ad agency Jacht to conduct research, surveys and focus groups with Gen Z members.
Jacht also found that Gen Z members fear they’re not ready for work. They feel their education did not prepare them for work or job seeking, and they do not feel confident that they will meet employers’ expectations in the following:
having adequate professional connections or experience
negotiating
networking
speaking confidently in front of crowds
resolving work conflicts
being managed by another person
Our young leaders—our successors—are emerging from their late teens and into their 20s without the critical-thinking skills and advanced social workplace savvy they need to be successful.
Chapter 2: Spring Begins
I founded Spring to help Gen Z grow into effective, successful new-world leaders, to give them the confidence and skills to make the biggest impact possible.
Through Spring’s offerings, Gen Z leaders will:
Cultivate a high level of emotional literacy
Foster their innate curiosity, so they learn to investigate and ask questions
Master how to engage in conflict productively and confidently
Develop a credible, informed presence
Build their higher-order critical-thinking skills so they can observe, interpret and apply data
Move beyond “me” to “we” and discover how their values can best serve their organization or community
Gen Z has incredible potential. With Spring’s cultivation and guidance, they can achieve greatness.
