The incredible ‘zoomer mindset’

Last year, I delivered a 11-session course to the students of SCoRe (School of Communication and Reputation Management) on a critical subject of ‘Client Delight’. I am grateful to have been requested this year again to conduct the same course. As I usually do before conducting any knowledge session, I revisited the course material, updated it to be correct and relevant to today. I love sharing knowledge with students as the course is full of real-life examples from my three decades of multicounty and multidomain experiences, not just something from Google.

Every time I teach, I get new perspectives and relearn. This is the biggest incentive for me. This course was a challenge because all the students are ‘Zoomers’ or the Gen Z. Zoomers is a term for people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. They are also known as Generation Z. The Zoomer mindset has been created in the anxious environment of the VUCA world (a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous). As we all know, they are the evolved human being and our future customers. I had heard a lot about the new Gen Z, but sharing knowledge with them is a complete delight. I thought that I should share with my valued readers the mindset of these zoomers. Although I have just completed two sessions with them so far, I feel that I really vibe with them and they relate to my sessions and me.

1. Purpose drives the Generation Z: They know where they want to go and are purpose driven. Time and progress are very important to them. Once their purpose is clear, they do not hesitate to learn and adapt to progress to their purpose. They expect a mentor or leader to understand and mirror their purpose and help them get there.
2. Authenticity is valued immensely: The Zoomers value authenticity above everything else and are quick to detect what is fake and being done on the surface. Depth matters to them and they reject what is flippant. Naturally they align quickly with genuineness. Logic convinces them and not just instructions that are given to them.
3. Work/Life Balance matters: The Generation Z understand the long-term negative ramifications of lack of work/life balance. They instinctively believe in the saying ‘work hard and party harder’ and like to live their life in the same rhythm. They love celebrating their achievements and living a good lifestyle as a result of their hard work.
4. They are self-motivated: A Zoomer is practical and flexible by nature and are wired to be self-motivated. As mentioned in this article earlier, they are purpose driven and therefore self-motivated. They do not need prodding or reminding. They move ahead on their own. This attitude rubs off on their team and community.
5. Mental health is a focus: Having had experienced the impact of the pandemic on the mental health on humanity, they are aware of how ill mental health can have serious consequences. They take proactive steps to nurture their own mental health and create a positive environment of happiness around them.
6. The Gen Z love to travel: Zoomers believe in experiences including experiential learning as well as travel. They love to get out from where they are based and seek new experiences in leisure and urban destinations. This urge in them comes from looking at travel as an antidote to stress, but also looking at the world in all its dimensions.
7. Gen Z believe in financial stability: The Zoomers believe in creating a solid financial foundation for themselves despite the fact that they love leading a good lifestyle. They are keen on saving and investing and look at long term as a way of life and financial management. They are not reckless and impulse spenders.

There are many other traits of the incredible ‘zoomer mindset’ but this generation is an evolved generation and will surely be a catalyst of positive change for the world at large.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

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Amitesh Banerjee

Amitesh is a seasoned positive integrated communications disruptor with several years of multi- country/multi- domain experience. He has worked for reputed organisations in senior leadership positions including JWT, ITC, New Zealand Dairy Board, Seychelles Marketing Board, Perfect Relations, Genesis BCW, Adfactors, Della Group, H+K Strategies among others. Amitesh is Senior Vice President of Beanstalk Asia- a leading Integrated Marketing Communications firm.