The Why Behind the Book

Hello there, reader!

I didn’t write this book because I had it all figured out. I wrote it because I was paying attention. As a Gen Z, I’ve spent time intentionally observing not just my generation but the ones we work and live alongside. I paid attention to how we show up both in and out of the workplace. I studied the kind of work that lights us up, the environments that make us stay, and the companies that actually get us. I noticed the patterns, the friction, the values we hold close, and the systems with which we often clash. All of that reflection and all those observations eventually led me here to write this book.

Over the last six years, I’ve worked in corporate spaces as a Gen Z lady, watching, learning, stumbling, winning, and taking notes the entire time. Not just notes on what I was doing, but notes on the culture, the communication, the leadership, the dynamics that either made people thrive or slowly shut down. I noticed what I ticked with and what I didn’t. What sparked my creativity and what drained it. What made me feel seen and what made me want to log off permanently. And I wasn’t alone in that.

I started to realize that Gen Z, my generation, was being talked about more than we were being talked to. We were either glamorized as digital wizards or criticized as emotionally fragile and hard to manage. But in all that noise, the actual ‘Why’ behind our behavior got lost. The ‘How’ of working with us was left unexplored. In that, a lot of assumptions have been made overtime. People twice, or even three times our age have tried to “crack” who we are by watching us from the outside. And while that’s understandable, the truth is, you can’t fully grasp the mindset, motivations, and ways of a generation unless you’re living it. Observation can only go so far. To really understand us, you have to be one of us.

This book is my way of giving voice to that shift I’ve been witnessing. It’s the behind-the-scenes thoughts I’ve had in meetings. It’s the frustrations I couldn’t always voice out loud. It’s the praise I wanted to give to those few leaders who really just got it. It’s a compilation of all the “I wish they understood…” thoughts I’ve carried over the years. Don't get it twisted, though; Cracking the Gen Z Code is not a rant. It’s not a how-to guide filled with corporate jargon. It’s not even just for Gen Zs or those that we may work with. It’s for anyone. Regardless of generation, who wants to build better teams, communicate more effectively, and create work cultures where everyone can do their best work.

So, If you’re leading people, managing Gen Zs, hiring them, collaborating with them, or you are one, this book is your inside look. Not the TikTok version. Not the Forbes article summary. But a raw, thoughtful breakdown of who we are, what shapes us, why we work differently, and how to work with us, not against us. It covers the basics and then goes deeper. My hope is that this helps you see a different side of us Gen Zs. To truly understand us, you’ll need to recognize that we are different. To adapt to those differences, you’ll have to be willing to learn, unlearn, and shift your perspective. That’s the only way to really get us.

I didn’t write this as an outsider looking in. I wrote this from the inside. As someone in the middle of it all. Still figuring it out. Still evolving. Still paying attention. And now I’m passing those notes to you.