The Importance of Properly Leading and Nurturing Younger Generational Relationships in the Workplace: A Young Travel Agency Owner’s Perspective

June 1, 2025

Emily Schultz, CTIE

In today’s rapidly changing and evolving economy, many interconnected workplaces must evolve and grow with it. With younger generations like Millennials and Generation Z, there are many new challenges and new opportunities for you as a leader. In this white paper, we will explore the need of properly and effectively leading and nurturing these generations workplace, particularly from the lens of a young travel agency owner such as myself. The significance of collaborating with younger generations through understanding, mentorship, and effective leadership will help create a thriving business environment that embraces new ideas, creativity, and valued team members.

As someone who has worked at as a travel agent prior to becoming an agency owner, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of effective leadership in nurturing the generational relationships in the workplace prior to going on my own. The travel industry as whole has experienced rapid changes with utilizing more technology, and we experience many unique challenges often. In my experience, this has created a direct demand for more personalized vacations and more clearly defined guest preferences. Bridging the generational gaps with leadership is essential for business, but also quite beneficial as well. I will aim to emphasize the critical approaches of leading both generation z and millennials, the benefits they offer, and strategic ways to enhance collaboration together in the workplace. As a leader now myself, I appreciate the opportunity to encourage and strengthen collaborations of the latest generations.

Both the millennial and generation have specific characteristics, so it is important to understand them first. SHRM.org recognizes millennials (born 1981-1995) as the largest current workforce demographic (1). Millennials thrive on flexibility, transparency, and feedback. In a workplace, they look for a company and peers who match their personal values. Since the pandemic, millennials are very accustomed to working remotely, and it has become expected for their employers to maintain that flexibility.

Generation Z (born 1996-2012) are newer to entering the workforce but estimated in 2025 to overtake the number of baby boomers currently working (2). They are savvy with social media and technology, enjoy doing meaningful work, and are not shy about speaking out when they believe change is needed. What is interesting, is in a recent study, 74% of Gen Z employees say they are comfortable providing feedback to managers or superiors, regardless of their sonority levels within (3).

A significant advantage to fostering these relationships is the high potential for creative innovation. New perspectives and diverse viewpoints can lead to innovative solutions. For example, in the travel industry experience alone from veteran agents may not be enough to keep up with the younger millennial travelers, who make up for the largest demographic of travelers (4). Utilizing Gen Z’s digital skills can help keep up with current trends to draw in that specific demographic along with their own.

Mentorship as a leader amongst older generations can effectively help younger our professionals. I believe by creating a hands-on teaching approach will be better received versus a standardized manual. With these two generations, it is not a “one size fits all” type of learning, and individual skills and weaknesses must be approached through direct support. I have directly noticed through my experience even if an agent knows how to handle a stressful event, they may need support and reassurance for their first experience in that scenario to properly manage it. They may know the process for what to do if a guest’s flight is cancelled, but to physically tackle the obstacle, may need additional encouragement to be successful the first time encountering it.

Creating an inclusive workplace that values the contributions of all generations leads to higher employee engagement and retention rates. When employees feel appreciated and understood, they are more likely to remain committed to the organization. Younger workers seek workplaces that promote collaboration and value their input. By fostering intergenerational relationships and providing effective leadership, companies can create a sense of belonging that enhances overall job satisfaction.

Transparency matters in any company. For the millennials that thrive on this, having metrics available that are updated consistently will help accountability. I personally let my agents know exactly where their traveled sales are, where I would like them to be, and what goals they need to meet to move up within our agency. From a leadership standpoint, this helps the supervisory team as well. Are you meeting your goals for your team? Where do they need additional improvement? How can you bridge any gaps that are reflected? The accountability millennials crave is equally as important to running your business.

What worked pre-pandemic for marketing, and those travel preferences of that time have long changed. Younger generations can show others new ways to market, use AI, and various online tools to properly accomplish new processes. Utilizing YouTube in proposals for hotel rooms was a new idea a gen z agent of mine had, and the feedback from our guests with specific rooms being showcased has been positive. Providing that valuable input not only encourages others to share their perspectives but allows us to showcase their ideas and celebrate them as a company.
Appreciation for these two generations is essential. Every person likes to feel valued. Developing a way to celebrating your team and individual achievements is effective leadership. If one of your agents completes a certification or qualifies for an incentive trip, genuinely being happy for them, sharing their accomplishment, or even rewarding them will inspire others to follow suit.

These generations typically are educated (5). In a recent study, millennials have a higher completion of college versus their previous predecessors. Data also shows millennial women have more bachelor’s degrees than ever before, which is an interesting correlation given 80% of the travel industry is female identifying (6). As Gen Z starts increasing their higher educational attainments, we may see them trend higher than millennials. So, what does this mean for a leader? Investing in training programs, continuing education, and development opportunities will me important. The educational opportunities do not have to be defined as specifically a travel niche, they can be about effective communication, conflict resolution, or general collaboration skills. Enhancing your leadership by continuing to allow your agents to grow and thrive with their education will be a key support component in maintaining a strong working relationship.

Younger generations are prioritizing work-life balance and mental health goals (7). Offering flexibility as a leader helps maintain that balance. In the travel industry, independent advisors typically set their own schedules, which always sounds appealing, but the reality of our industry is being there for guests in the event of an emergency, often dropping our current plans to extinguish whatever fire is occurring. Leading by example of setting work hours is great, but being there as a support in the event of an emergency is even better. Your agents want to understand what commitment is needed in the demands of this career, and setting an appropriate behavior to model will demonstrate an understanding of their strive for flexibility.

Such as discussed in the CTIE course, conflict can arise in any workplace as well. The diversity and passion, mixed with different communication skills can be a lot to adapt to as a leader. Gen Z may speak more unprofessionally, be more overly critical, or have trouble separating personal and professional life. Millennials may be sensitive, and emotionally withdraw from a company they do not feel matches their values. I believe understanding these generational characteristics can change your approach as a leader when you are met with a situation that may involve professional intervention. Overcoming conflict with Gen Z may look like offering a mentorship and more coaching. With millennials, offering consistent feedback to avoid catching them off guard and creating a workplace that is consistent will help prevent many future conflicts. Regular feedback sessions vs one on one conversations sporadically will help the millennial generation be able to share their thoughts and feelings openly and comfortably. Creating this environment of open communication as a leader will foster mutual respect and understanding amongst both generations.

Reverting back to the DISC style theory, how younger generations communicate can cause resistance to change. For example, an agent who is a type S or C may be accustomed to their traditional ways of working, and more resistant to the change millennials and gen z bring. Different generations usually have different communication preferences. While younger employees may favor digital communication like email, older employees may prefer face-to-face interactions or phone calls. Encouraging flexibility and training on effective communication can help avoid these challenges as a leader. Overall, communicating as a team the benefits of collaboration and highlighting success stories will empower a diverse team to bridge generational gaps.

With this generational difference, priorities are also different. Just fifty years ago, many workers were focused on achieving stability to manage their mortgages, support their partners, and raise children. Today, those motivations still resonate for many, especially parents. In fact, nearly half of parents with kids under 18 (48%) worry about job security, compared to 38% of nonparents, according to data from Justworks and Harris Poll (8). Parenthood acts as a grounding force for both employees and the workplace.

However, many workers today are carving out different paths, and placing less emphasis on traditional job security. When Generation Z was asked about their reasons for staying in a job, fair treatment (50% of respondents) and having a supportive manager (50%) topped the list, slightly ahead of job security (48%), as highlighted in SHRM’s The State of Global Workplace Culture in 2024 (9). In contrast, job security remains a significant priority for a larger share of Millennials (51%) and Generation X (54%).

After discussing the many traits and qualities of gen z and millennials, keep in mind not to stereotype them just based upon age. This can slow or halt the development of a positive leader/ agent relationship. It is important not to delegate the brunt of the more challenging tasks to one of the younger generations simply to teach them the “hard way” or based on hierarchy within the company, they need an equal opportunity balancing simple and difficult tasks. On the opposite spectrum, not assigning challenging tasks due to a preconceived notion that a younger generation agent may not understand will create an environment that is not inclusive.

Retention amongst these generations is important. While you can spend time mentoring, understanding, and learning the way they work, these generations need to still be appreciated and celebrated. Providing flexibility, growth opportunities, and proper credit will help maintain their employment status with a company. Both the millennial and gen z groups value a flexible work/life balance, so not contacting them outside of business hours, swooping in to help when they are feeling overwhelmed, and setting clear expectations will help close that gap.

We have all heard the phrase “people do not quit jobs, they quit bosses”, which I believe to mostly hold true. This is especially the case with younger generations, and being a great leader by recognizing their traits and highlighting their strength will create better retention outcomes with higher agent satisfaction. While understanding each individual’s DISC styles, also understanding viewpoints of millennials and gen z can create long term growth within a business. The younger generations bring so much to the table in terms of influence and innovation, and it is essential to not only recognize their strengths but understand the way they work as a whole.

In our rapidly evolving industry, the younger generations not only bring major market and spending power as consumers, but their influence on trends, digital engagement, value-driven choices, feedback, and innovation improve our companies as a whole. Nurturing and embracing these relationships as a leader will be essential in your business long-term growth. Using outdated strategies that worked years ago may not work anymore and will absolutely cause an agency to not be able to attract or retain younger talent. By implementing new communication styles, providing feedback, and being an open and engaged leader, the future of the travel industry can continue to move forward and look bright.