Kamber has been speaking all over the country for the first half of this year, and her audiences have been all in on bridging generational gaps. But if there’s one stereotype that persists in every conversation, it’s this one: “Gen Z can’t solve problems on their own… Gen Z isn’t resilient… Gen Z doesn’t take ownership.”
If you know us at all, you know that we aren’t fans of a harmful stereotype. But this one? It’s hard to escape. And there’s enough scholarly work out there to support this as a legitimate phenomenon, so let’s talk about it seriously.
What is the “Problem-Solving Gap”?
In short, what business leaders all over the country (whether they’re Boomers, Gen Xers, or Millennials) are experiencing with younger team members is what we are calling the Problem-Solving Gap: the tendency in Gen Zers to give up quickly rather than dig in to solve a problem. This is often critiqued as a lack of critical thinking skills—and while in some cases that may be true, we’d argue that it’s more often a lack of problem-solving skills. That moment when you hit a snag in your plan, something becomes more complicated than you anticipated, or the typical solution isn’t working—these are all moments when we choose to either dig in or give up. And it seems like Gen Z opts for the latter more often.
Before we go any further, we want to clarify: this may be a gap that is manifesting itself in Gen Z’s behavior, but make no mistake: this is an issue that all of us must own. When Millennials were called “the trophy generation,” the most immediate comeback to that was, “And who was giving out those trophies?” The same logic applies here, which means we can’t talk about the Problem-Solving Gap without talking about lawnmower parenting.
Lawnmower parenting is a term used to describe the parenting style characterized by parents who smooth every path for their children by fixing or removing challenges before their kids even have the opportunity to tackle them. Banner Health discusses this, and makes the caveat that while some parental support is healthy, the distinction lies between support in moments that are genuinely dangerous versus support “even when it’s safe and appropriate for the child to try on their own.”
Banner Health also reports that constant lawnmower parenting means that children grow up without an adequate amount of practice solving problems by themselves, which can lead to lower resilience, lower self-esteem, weaker problem-solving skills, and increased anxiety. If you manage a Gen Z employee with any (or all) of those characteristics… they just might be experiencing a Problem-Solving Gap. And they may have been raised by a lawnmower village.
How Did We Get Here?
If we’re going to close the Problem-Solving Gap, let’s be clear about how we got here: yes, Gen Z was raised by older generations who tended to “mow the lawn” for them. However, before we start pointing too many fingers, let’s zoom out and get curious about why that happened.
First, let’s consider how older generations were raised. Some of them had tough lives—whether they grew up poor, or had highly authoritarian parents who believed that children should be seen and not heard—and they wanted better for their own kids. Each parent comes to the table with their own cocktail of experiences, but the “rub some dirt on it,” “I’ll give you something to cry about” phrases were certainly more common for past generations. If that attitude caused a childhood wound, the intention behind a new parenting path is fair. In whatever ways the parents are to blame, most of them came by it honestly.
And let’s not forget that some of the lawn-mowing is caused by systemic changes. In August of last year, The Washington Post released a report about the diminishing number of kids riding their bikes on roads—and this time, we can’t necessarily point to the parents. Consider that speed limits have risen, cars are bigger now, 2-lane roads have become 4-lane roads, and more drivers are distracted by their phones.
On top of road danger, other systemic factors include how difficult it is to be approved for the creation of mixed-use development, which highlights how often our cities are heavily divided between residential and commercial. Forty years ago, a quick bike ride to the grocery store would’ve been common in most neighborhoods—and the roads to get there would’ve been small enough (with low enough speed limits) that the risk in riding a bike would’ve been perfect for sending your kid on an errand. But if the closest grocery store is 4 miles away, down a 4-lane road featuring enormous trucks with drivers on their phones? Parents won’t agree to that so quickly. And who would blame them?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t also talk about one of the most influential advancements of the past 30 years: the smartphone. It solves almost every problem for you, all in one central location. And while all generations are using it to solve their problems, most of us had formative years without it, so we had the opportunity to practice problem-solving in a more analog way. Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation, and someone we’ve referenced many times before) discusses how these outside risk-taking opportunities—like hanging out at the mall, or riding a bike to the grocery store—have diminished, and so kids end up staying home and, you guessed it: playing on their phones. The internet has served as an avenue for them to “venture out” in a way that parents thought was more safe… And while we’re continually learning just how unsafe this alternative is, consider how “staying in” deprived young professionals of the life experiences of a flat bike tire, an alternate route home, insufficient change, a pay phone, or a rainy day without a jacket.
These are just a few examples of the ways that parents have chosen (and society has forced) a lawnmower environment on kids over the past 20 to 30 years—but if we had to guess, you can think of other ways that both parental and system changes have played out. The point is: we as a society have to take responsibility for the Problem-Solving Gap that we’re seeing in the workplace today. And part of taking responsibility means less frustration with Gen Z, and more bridging the gap in the workplace.
Bridging the Problem-Solving Gap
We know that you want your team members to be problem-solvers. And while previous generations may have jumped into their roles with that skill already honed, that’s not always the case now. If you’re experiencing a Problem-Solving Gap in the workplace, you’re not alone—but proactively bridging that gap would put you in a league of your own. Here are our team’s recommendations:
- Stop answering the first question. When junior team members ask for help, most leaders solve the problem too quickly because it’s faster—and in the moment, that feels more productive. But every time you do, you reinforce the exact behavior you’re frustrated by. Instead, try:
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- “What have you tried so far?”
- “What do you think the next step is?”
- “If I wasn’t here, what would you do?
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- Lock the lawn mower up. At the risk of over-using the metaphor… create barriers so that you can’t become a lawn mower! For example, install a “2-step rule” for escalation. Before your employee brings a problem forward, require: 1–2 attempted solutions and a recommendation based on their own experience. This gives them the chance to solve it themselves, and if they still need help, they’re coming to you as a collaborator.
- Allow (and celebrate) mistakes. For us perfectionists out there, this one is tough. But oftentimes, unpleasant experiences are our best learning moments. A missed deadline, a technical error, or a lackluster presentation are truly the greatest prices for “tuition in the school of life”—and when we cheer those moments on, we give invaluable training to our team members.
- Set clear expectations. At the beginning, that might mean giving way more detail than you’re used to—which, as we mentioned in #1, could feel counterproductive. But in the long run, it will eliminate risk and avoid either a) your new team members not getting what you need done, and b) not paying for it in time and money down the road. If you want to be a pro at this, we recommend laying out a clear plan/steps and add the how + why if possible. Once those expectations are clear, it makes “locking the lawn mower up” much easier.
If you’re paying attention to generational stereotypes at all, the Gen Z “lack of problem-solving skills” conversation has been a hot topic for years now. But at a certain point, if we spend years pointing fingers without solving the problem… then we better point the finger back at ourselves. The fact that you’ve made it this far tells us you’re already working to be part of the solution. That’s the exact kind of leader we love to work with.
Don’t forget: Change is happening faster than leaders can manage it, and it’s costing you productivity and profitability. Your multigenerational workforce should be driving your company’s profitability, not hindering it. GPS is your #1 resource for workforce change. We’re on a mission to help organizations drive profitability, performance, and purpose across generations, and we’re here to help you think differently about generational dynamics in the workplace so that you can become the leader your team needs. Partnering with us means creating a workforce that collaborates across generations, adapts to change, and drives your company’s profitability.
Let’s bring out the best in your people.
Did you like this week’s post? Then you might like these posts below.
Gen Z and AI: Where They Stand—And Why It Might Surprise You
Why Change Management is a Leader’s Most Essential Skill
The Shifting Conversation Around Burnout: A Reflection on the 2026 Winter Olympics
What’s Next?
If your team is navigating generational friction, stalled performance, or culture misalignment—it’s time to take action.
At GPS, we’re on a mission to help organizations unlock clarity, communication, and performance across every generation. And we don’t just talk about results—we deliver them in 90 days or less.
Connect with us today and start driving results that last.
