Author: Zuzanna Ławrynowicz

Let’s set the scene. It’s 1928. Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist with a mustache, accidentally discovers penicillin. The world of medicine changes forever—not because Fleming stubbornly clung to the old ways, but because he noticed something new and wasn’t afraid to explore it.

Fast forward a century. You, a seasoned manager with a coffee mug older than half your team, stare in confusion at the office printer’s flashing light. Next to you, your new employee—Gen Z—solves the issue with a tap, a swipe, and what seems like a Jedi mind trick. The machine hums back to life.

Now, you could pretend you had it under control all along. Or you could lean into the moment, Fleming-style, and embrace the fact that there are still a few things you could learn.

The Physics of Progress: Newton’s Third Law (of Management)

Let’s invoke the wisdom of Sir Isaac Newton. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In the workplace, for every new technology, there is an equal amount of confusion—usually in direct proportion to how long you’ve been using Windows XP. Gen Z isn’t the reaction; they’re the solution. And the reaction you want? Curiosity, not fear.

Who Are These Gen Z Wizards, Anyway?

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z grew up with smartphones. They are digital natives, true, but also—brace yourself—pretty great at problem-solving, adapting, and questioning the status quo.

They don’t want your job. They just want to help you do yours better.

The Authority Illusion: You Don’t Lose It by Learning

It’s easy to believe that asking for help chips away at your authority. But let’s debunk that with a little corporate anthropology. The greatest leaders in history—Lincoln, Mandela, Captain Picard—weren’t afraid to seek counsel. In fact, the more they listened, the more they led. Asking Gen Z for advice on Slack, social media, or why your phone keeps autocorrecting “meeting” to “meowing” doesn’t make you less of a leader. It makes you more human—and, frankly, more efficient.

Three Gen Z Management Tips

1. Reverse Mentorship
   • Pair up. Let your Gen Z team teach you about emerging tech and you share your wisdom about how to survive a meeting that could’ve been an email. Everyone wins.
2. Invite Curiosity, Not Judgment
   • Create a culture where questions are welcomed, not ridiculed. Curiosity is contagious—and profitable.
3. Celebrate Micro-Wins
   • Gen Z thrives on feedback and small victories. Acknowledge their contributions, whether it’s fixing the WiFi or launching a viral campaign.

Final Thought: The Future Is Collaborative, Not Competitive

The real superpower isn’t knowing everything—it’s knowing someone who knows something you don’t. By embracing Gen Z’s strengths, you’re not losing authority; you’re expanding it. You’re building a team that learns, adapts, and actually enjoys working together.

So next time the printer blinks at you menacingly, remember Alexander Fleming, Newton’s Third Law, and maybe even Captain Picard.

Ready to bridge the generation gap? Start by asking Gen Z for advice.

In the 17th century, Galileo Galilei got into a dispute with the Catholic Church. He came up with the outrageous idea that the Earth wasn’t the center of the universe. As you might guess, his superiors weren’t too fond of that theory.

Technically, the Church had an “open-door policy.” You could present your ideas, express your opinions… as long as they aligned with the Church’s point of view. If not, you’d be facing a trial for heresy. And in Galileo’s case, his opinion wasn’t exactly popular.

The moral of the story? Just because a boss says they want to listen doesn’t mean they actually do. And if employees don’t believe they can speak openly without consequences, they’ll stay silent.

So, if you’re a leader wondering why no one is coming through your “always open” door, let’s figure out why—and how to fix it.

1. An Open Door Can Be a Trap

Managers love saying, “You can tell me anything.” But employees have learned that in practice, this usually means:

• Option A – They tell the truth, and it gets ignored.
• Option B – They tell the truth, and it doesn’t get ignored—because now everything they say is under scrutiny.

Just like Galileo, when those in power react badly to criticism, employees simply learn to stay quiet.

If no one is coming to you with problems, it’s not because there aren’t any. It’s because everyone has decided that staying silent is safer.

2. You Might Be More Intimidating Than You Think

The person who controls your paycheck, promotions, and overall career path is automatically intimidating.

No one will tell the boss there’s a problem if the boss has a tendency to “thank them for their input” in a tone that clearly suggests they should start updating their résumé.

A real open-door policy means employees not only have permission to speak but also know they won’t face any negative consequences for doing so.

3. People Talk Where They Feel Heard

Employees do talk. On WhatsApp, in the office—there are plenty of channels.

The problem is, if concerns are only raised in places where leaders aren’t listening, they’ll never be addressed. And when employees feel their voice doesn’t matter, they start sending passive-aggressive emails and quietly quitting their jobs.

What Can You Do?

The simplest solution? Actively ask for honest feedback.

Don’t wait for people to come to you. Set up regular meetings, anonymous surveys, or informal chats where you ask, “What could we be doing better?”—and actually listen to the answers.

In 1790, Benjamin Franklin wrote one of his most quoted lines: “Lost time is never found again.” But Franklin wasn’t just being poetic—he was a man obsessed with productivity. His famous daily schedule divided his day into neat blocks of work, reflection, and rest. To him, every hour had a purpose.

But here’s the thing: Franklin wasn’t running a small business or managing HR solutions for hundreds of employees. His world was simpler—letters to write, experiments to conduct, and maybe a heated debate at the local coffeehouse.

Now fast forward 230 years. Imagine Benjamin Franklin as a modern-day business owner. Instead of inventing bifocals, he’d be stuck in payroll management, reconciling expenses. Instead of writing the Poor Richard’s Almanack, he’d be processing tax compliance. His carefully scheduled day would devolve into chaos, swallowed by the relentless grind of back-office tasks. And Franklin, the master of time management, would’ve hated every second of it.

The Modern Dilemma

For today’s entrepreneurs and managers, time feels more elusive than ever. Your calendar is overrun with meetings, your inbox is flooded, and your to-do list is growing at an alarming rate.

In theory, your job should be about business strategy, innovation, and leading your team. In reality, you’re buried in admin work—tasks like HR compliance, payroll processing, and chasing down accounting details.

The result? Exhaustion. Burnout. And most importantly, missed opportunities to grow your business.

Why We’re Addicted to Doing It All

Here’s the paradox: even though we know time is precious, we cling to control over every little task. Why?

• It feels safe: “If I do it myself, I know it’ll be done right.”
• It feels productive: Crossing off even small tasks gives a dopamine hit.
• It feels necessary: “I can’t trust anyone else with this.”

But here’s the harsh truth: this mindset isn’t helping your business—it’s holding it back. While you’re busy fine-tuning spreadsheets, your competitors are meeting clients, launching new products, and seizing opportunities.

The High Cost of Low-Value Tasks

Let’s break this down. Every hour you spend on manual processes—like reviewing tax documents or HR management—is an hour you’re not spending on:

• Crafting long-term business strategy.
• Building client relationships.
• Exploring new markets or ideas.

It’s not just about saving time. It’s about redirecting your focus to the areas that actually drive growth.

The Way Forward: Three Steps to Reclaim Your Time

• Reimagine Your Role: Start by asking yourself this question: What’s the one thing only I can do for my business? Chances are, it’s not reconciling accounts or tracking payroll. It’s leading, strategizing, innovating. Define your role around those strengths, and let go of the rest.
• Build a Process-Driven Business: Think of your company as a machine, with each process as a cog. If one cog breaks, the machine slows down.
• Document workflows for recurring tasks.
• Automate repetitive processes—tools like payroll software and HR management systems can save hours.
• Delegate tasks that don’t require your expertise.
• Delegate Like a Pro: Delegation isn’t just handing off tasks; it’s empowering others to take ownership. By partnering with firms like Smart People, you can outsource complex back-office functions—like payroll, taxes, and HR compliance—to experts.

These aren’t just tasks—they’re time-sinks that pull you away from what matters most. By outsourcing, you gain clarity and freedom to focus on business growth.

Why Trust Is the Foundation of Delegation

Let’s address the elephant in the room: handing over critical processes like payroll or taxes can feel risky. That’s why choosing the right outsourcing partner matters. When you work with a trusted provider, you’re not just delegating—you’re investing in your company’s future.

Closing Reflection

In 2025, time is still slipping away, just as Franklin warned. But unlike Franklin, we have options he couldn’t dream of—like outsourcing, automating, and redefining how we work.
The question is: Will you keep trying to do it all, or will you reclaim your time and focus on what truly matters? Because lost time not only is lost—it’s stolen from the future of your business.

If there’s one word that sums up the business mindset of the 21st century, it’s “management.”

In an age of inflation, where each grocery run feels like it requires half a bottle of antidepressants afterward, managing costs has become a survival skill. And if we want time for those grocery trips in the first place, managing work hours is just as critical. On top of that, if a business wants any shot at success, it’s got to boost service quality, too. Facing a world full of uncertainties, companies are striving to be agile and adaptable—they need precisely the right amount of resources, on their terms and at their speed. Enter TaaS, or Team as a Service—a concept that not only shifts our perspective on human resources but also gives businesses control over costs while maintaining the highest standards of quality and expertise.

Controlled Costs—You Pay Only for What You Need

Ever bought a year-long gym membership, only to go a few times before forgetting it even exists? Or taken out a weekly subscription to a design program just to edit one photo? If so, you know the feeling of wasted resources. Traditional full-time hiring often follows the same pattern. That’s why we came up with the phrase “our people are your people”—you only pay for the time and expertise when you actually need it. Gone are the days of paying for a “full-time” role when projects wrap up early or hit unexpected pauses. TaaS is here to let companies pay for quality, not just for hours worked from 9 to 5. In a nutshell, if you need specialized skills, you don’t have to take on the costs of a full-time hire. Instead, you get the expertise that drives results, and in today’s economy, where uncertainty forces continuous savings, that kind of flexibility is priceless.

The Flexibility You Need

With TaaS, the risk of losing key skills and knowledge is on us. So, what’s in it for you? In short, you can focus on what matters most—your core business. Picture this: your team is missing a specific skillset needed for a project. Instead of recruiting a specialist full-time, dealing with contracts, and stressing over layoffs after the project ends, you go with TaaS. You get access to the best experts for the job, tailored to your exact needs and timeline.

TaaS—Focus on What You Do Best

With Team as a Service, the burden of managing skill sets that might change day-to-day is off your shoulders. It’s like hiring an orchestra: you choose the musicians and the music, while someone else handles all the logistics, rehearsals, and bookings. You focus on delivering an amazing performance, and we ensure the artists are ready, reliable, and in top form. TaaS allows companies to delegate the responsibility of maintaining skills and reduces the risks of turnover that could disrupt operations. If one of the specialists finds a new opportunity, it’s not your problem. As your TaaS provider, we guarantee continuity and service quality. You get to focus on what really matters—growing your business and creating value.

Renaissance for Today’s Business Needs

In a world of constant economic and technological change, Team as a Service is exactly what modern businesses need. In an era where adaptability is the key to success, TaaS offers a model that not only cuts costs but also minimizes risk and delivers flexibility. In summary, TaaS is a game-changing approach to resource management. Companies gain the expertise they need without the overhead of traditional employment. By choosing TaaS, you’re choosing efficiency, flexibility, and complete control over what matters most—your business.