Left on Read by Gen Z

"How are you feeling? Did you have someone to have lunch with today? OMG have you met XYZ? He's a true OG here."

After sending this message to my new hire along with an appropriate GIF I paused.

Was I ... being a Jessica?

It had never crossed my mind until I found myself left on read for a good hour.

Apparently Gen Z has dubbed my generation's Karen – Jessica. For those of you unfamiliar with Karen: Karen originated in the 2010s and is associated with an annoying, middle-aged white woman, who wants to speak to the manager. Enter Jessica. Jessica, one of the most popular girls' names in the 1980s and 90s has been chosen as the new "Karen" in our day and age. According to the internet, they are entitled, abrasive, or show overly dramatic behavior in the workplace and online. They want to be cool and overcommunicative and get it all wrong. At least that is the hunch I got from the different sources I've read. It makes sense. My generation has grown into middle management—the very people Gen Z now works for. And yes, we've probably produced some annoying bosses - I can think of a few former classmates that I'd rather not work with, let alone work for.

Before we get into this: I don't like putting people in boxes based on their birth year. It's a very limiting framework, but I cannot help but smile and wonder if I'm a Jessica.

Am I overly dramatic at work? I do like to use a bunch of GIFs.

They just make my day better and boring meetings more entertaining. They express how I feel, while navigating hybrid teams. If we were all in the same office, I'd probably give them a quick look that would express the same.

I imagine a Jessica, wanting to be cool and fit in with the team instead of simply leading it ("I'm not like a regular mom. I'm a cool mom." — Mean Girls. Replace "mom" with "boss" and you get the Jessica vibe, in my opinion). I prefer to lead more inclusively than directively - and yes I'd like to be a "cool" boss. I try not to micromanage, as I've personally suffered from micromanagement before. However if I have a clear vision on how I'd like something I won't hesitate to communicate this. I guess I still have room for improvement on my coaching skills. But I don't need to be friends with my team.

Jessica probably uses Gen Z slang - usually not in the right way. To be honest: this may be the most Jessica thing about me - and I love this and don't care what others think. I run around trying to use expressions like "salty" or "OG" because it's fun. I also distribute finger hearts or teach anybody who cares how to do a "Gen Z" heart. My youngest sister taught me and I'm very proud to teach others:

• Start by pretending you're flipping someone off.
• Connect the middle fingers.
• Connect the index fingers to form an arch.
• Tadaaaah... you've got your Gen Z heart.

Yes, I teach this at work, in Teams calls as well as in person. No they don't pay me extra, but I think they should. The success rate has been surprising and the amount of hearts I get a day is steadily increasing. Consider it knowledge management. You're welcome Karen.

Am I a Jessica? Does it matter? That's a secret I'll never tell. You know you love me xoxo [Gossip Girl]