Episode 58

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Published on:

18th Dec 2025

What Gen Z Wants from Work with Bailey Lauritsen

Join Jason for an insightful, heartfelt conversation with his daughter Bailey, a high school senior and returning guest who brings a fresh, next-generation perspective on work, communication, and the rapidly changing world of careers.

 

As the year comes to a close, Bailey returns to reflect on her early work experiences, lessons in workplace culture, and what the future holds. As a member of Gen Z looking towards college and preparing for a career in the age of AI, she offers valuable insight into the expectations of tomorrow’s workforce.

 

Bailey shares her takes on what makes for a good work experience, what she looks for when considering a part-time job (including the "vibe" of the place), and how she and her peers are thinking about their career prospects beyond high school graduation.

 

Some highlights from Bailey's perspective include:

👉 Prioritize people and communicate consistently; your hardest workers check out long before you notice if you neglect to follow up or show genuine care.

👉 Authentic happiness at work matters; employees can sense when colleagues are “putting on a show” versus truly enjoying their environment.

👉 Candidates evaluate your culture (the “vibes”) from the moment they interact with your organization, make it a two-way street, not just an act for outsiders.

👉 Today’s young workers are practical and pragmatic. They’re weighing their education and career choices against a backdrop of cost, job stability, and AI disruption.

👉 Teach and encourage healthy skepticism: critical thinking is now a survival skill when technology can fabricate reality at scale.

 

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JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.

📌 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://jasonlauritsen.ck.page/950d3c...

 

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Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

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About the Podcast

Unlocking High Performance
How leaders unlock performance by creating the conditions for people to do their best work
Unlocking High Performance is a podcast for leaders who want strong results without burning their people out in the process.

Hosted by Jason Lauritsen, the show explores how clarity, alignment, and connection shape performance at work. Jason draws from his work with CEOs, executive teams, and leaders to examine why work so often becomes heavier, slower, and more frustrating than it needs to be and how to fix it.

Some episodes are solo reflections. Others are conversations with leaders and practitioners navigating real constraints and consequences. Each conversation looks beyond tactics to understand the leadership and organizational conditions that make performance possible.

The podcast focuses on the systems that drive performance, not leadership theory or quick fixes. Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of how work actually gets done and how to build environments where people perform at their best.

About your host

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Jason Lauritsen