Paul Welty, PhD AI, WORK, AND STAYING HUMAN

· professional-skills

Bookmark: 5 reasons why ‘gen z’ is struggling in the workplace— by a psychologist

Explore the key challenges Gen Z faces in the workplace and discover how managers can adapt to support their unique needs for success.

The article examines the difficulties Gen Z faces as it enters the workforce, attributing these challenges to diverse factors such as emotional awareness, communication styles, feedback expectations, value alignment, and unmet workplace expectations. It highlights the complexity of balancing empathy with professionalism, emphasizing the need for managerial adaptation to these new communicative and value-driven dynamics. Surveys indicate high levels of burnout and job satisfaction issues among Gen Z, underscoring the disparity between their expectations and workplace realities. Despite their tech-savvy nature, Gen Z still grapples with soft skills, requiring patient mentorship in adapting to work environments. The article suggests that fostering a culture of open communication and feedback can help bridge generational gaps, with managers playing a crucial role in facilitating this transition by actively listening and recognizing Gen Z’s contributions. This aligns with the view that embracing continuous learning and adaptability is essential in today’s evolving workplace. Balancing Gen Z’s unique approach with strategic managerial support could harness their potential, fostering a collaborative environment that benefits all.

5 Reasons Why ‘Gen Z’ Is Struggling In The Workplace—By A Psychologist

Why customer tools are organized wrong

This article reveals a fundamental flaw in how customer support tools are designed—organizing by interaction type instead of by customer—and explains why this fragmentation wastes time and obscures the full picture you need to help users effectively.

Infrastructure shapes thought

The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.

Server-side dashboard architecture: Why moving data fetching off the browser changes everything

How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had.

The work of being available now

A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.

The practice of work in progress

Practical essays on how work actually gets done.

Dev reflection - February 20, 2026

I want to talk about the difference between execution and verification. Because something happened this week that made the distinction painfully clear, and I think it matters far beyond software.

Dev reflection - February 18, 2026

There's a moment in any system—a team, a company, a workflow—where the thing you've been optimizing for stops being the constraint. And you don't notice right away. You keep pushing on the old bott...

Dev reflection - February 17, 2026

I want to talk about staging areas. Not the technical kind—the human kind. The places where work goes to sit. The inbox you check before forwarding. The draft folder. The approval queue. The meetin...

Bookmark: Gen z workers think showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as being on time

Explore the clash between Baby Boomers and Gen Z over punctuality in the workplace, revealing how attitudes towards time impact productivity and collaboration.

Bookmark: A psychologist explains what gen z should be striving for at work (hint: Not happiness)

Gen Z should prioritize workplace engagement over fleeting happiness to achieve lasting career fulfillment and drive organizational success.

Bookmark: Gen zers are being branded as unemployable. Here’s what they can learn from the top 1% of applicants

Gen Z can boost their employability by learning from the top 1% of candidates. Discover key strategies for success in a challenging job market.