You can’t manage Gen Z with outdated methods—and if you try, it won’t work. But when you give them empowerment and ownership, you tap into their level of creativity, drive, and impact that’s unmatched.
At JamSocial, we didn’t stumble upon this overnight. We learned it the hard way—through half-done tasks, missed meetings, and lack of accountability that almost killed our company.
We pivoted from traditional top-down management to building a culture of ownership—and everything changed.
A culture of ownership is especially important for the Gen Z workforce. My team and I—being Gen Z ourselves—have grown up in a culture of independence: “be your own boss,” startup hustle, and self-made success. At the core of all this is a desire to feel valuable. Unfortunately, our culture has tied one’s worth to output: to be valuable, you must provide value.
So when Gen Z employees find themselves in companies where they don’t feel like they’re making an impact, they check out—mentally or even physically—because their sense of worth is tied to the value they believe they provide. They disengage, and the behaviors many leaders complain about begin to show up: apathy, minimal effort, and working just for the paycheck.
While this isn’t true of every Gen Z employee, we’ve had over 25 come through our doors—and we’ve seen the same patterns firsthand. What has worked for us is empowerment: giving each member on our team what they truly want – to know that the work they are doing is impacting the business and serving real people.
To empower a Gen Z team is to build a culture of ownership. For us, it meant that every member of our team—at any given time—could answer these three questions:
- What are your day-to-day tasks? What skills are you deploying to add value to the company?
- Why are you doing this task? Do you understand the purpose and value of the work you’re doing?
- How is your work impacting the people our company serves? Do you understand how your day-to-day tasks are impacting the people we serve?
To give some context around what building a culture of ownership looks like in practice, here’s what our company is about: we’re a Gen Z–led startup based in Calgary, AB, called JamSocial. We create digital icebreakers for events (in-person and virtual) because networking at an event can often be awkward. Whether it’s a networking event, corporate, workshop, seminar, social mixer, or even a wedding—we’ve seen it all, and we make connecting easier.
Our digital icebreakers help attendees network and spark meaningful conversations that otherwise won’t have happened, making it easier to break the ice and build real connections. This allows event hosts and organizers to create a fun, engaging experience for their attendees—without the usual awkwardness.
Our startup has always attracted Gen Z, and in the early days, we struggled to find talented individuals. We consistently ran into the same issues: team members showing up late (or not at all) to meetings, ghosting during check-ins, missing deadlines with vague excuses, and a general lack of accountability. We heard things like, “I thought that person was doing that,” or “I’m waiting for so-and-so. Have you contacted them? No, not yet.” It became a cycle of avoidance, indecision, and a reluctance to take ownership.
It wasn’t sustainable—and we knew something had to change. So, we tried different approaches. What ultimately transformed our culture was shifting our focus to ownership.
Top-down, authoritative management didn’t work. But empowering each member of the team did. From every team member’s first day, we began empowering them—whether in development or marketing—with a clear understanding of our company’s direction, goals, and vision.
It all came back to three key questions:
- What tasks are you working on today?
- Why are you doing it—do you understand the impact and value behind the task?
- Can you articulate how your work impacts the people our company serves?
To bring this to life, we introduced weekly journals. Every team member was required to answer these three questions, then share their reflections during our weekly team meetings. This practice helped clarify our collective vision and allowed each member to see where their work fit into the bigger picture.
It also became easier to spot misalignment and bad actors. If someone continued to show up late, ignore messages, or submit subpar work—despite claiming to understand that “their work is important because it aligns with our company’s vision of helping attendees connect at events”—then it was clear they weren’t a fit for our team.
As the founder, I realized that many of our early struggles stemmed from a lack of clarity around how day-to-day work translated into meaningful company impact. Once we made ownership a core value and gave every team member a clear sense of purpose, everything changed. People began going the extra mile because they understood how their individual contributions directly shaped the success of the company.
To build a culture of ownership, you have to do more than assign tasks. You need to help your team understand what they’re doing, why it matters, and how it impacts the people you serve. This isn’t something you do once a quarter—it’s a mindset that should be reinforced every week, every day, and in every “quick chat.”
That’s how you help Gen Z thrive—and how you overcome the challenges often associated with managing this generation.
Melvin Adekanye is the founder of JamSocial and helps event organizers host impactful, high-value events.
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