Breakout Session 3

Leading Gen Z

Presented by Allison Walz / Schindler Education Center 301
Generation Z currently represents 18% to 27% of the workforce, and by 2030, they're expected to make up nearly one-third of the workforce, surpassing Baby Boomers. As this generation continues to shape workplaces, many leaders are realizing that traditional management approaches are no longer enough. In fact, 75% of managers report feeling uncertain about how to effectively lead Gen Z. Challenges often surface around communication, engagement, and expectations. However, these are not signs of disinterest or underperformance; they're signals that leadership practices must evolve.

This session explores how shifting from a “command and control” style to a coaching-based approach can unlock Gen Z’s potential. When leaders prioritize clarity, transparency, and trust, Gen Z employees respond with ownership, accountability, and high performance. Attendees will learn practical strategies for giving direct feedback, creating visible pathways for growth, and empowering Gen Z team members to lead with confidence. As a Gen Z professional with hands-on experience managing Gen Z student employees and a degree in Organizational Leadership, I offer a dual perspective that blends lived experience with leadership theory to help managers lead this generation with clarity and confidence.

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Same Team, Different Styles: 
Communicating With People Who Don’t Communicate Like You

Presented by Colleen Morrissey / Schindler Education Center 303
Have you ever left a conversation feeling misunderstood or realized you may have misunderstood someone else? We all have a communication style: passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or assertive. Challenges can arise when we don’t recognize or understand styles that differ from our own. This interactive session will help participants identify their own communication style, recognize the characteristics of each communication style, and learn how to adapt their responses when engaging with styles different from their own.

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Name It, Claim It, Use It: Your Superpower at Work

Presented by Tyler Hospodarsky / Schindler Education Center 304
Have you ever stopped to think about what your superpower is? While we may wish for the ability to teleport, fly, or read other people’s minds, all are more realistic for the next Avengers movie than to actually be seen here at UNI. Our superpower, in non-fiction terms, is something that we have the utmost confidence in regardless of the date, time, or place. In a work setting, it can be defined as this: What is one thing that I know from my first day at work that I can do at a high level? No training, no prior experience or knowledge, but I know I have this one aspect of my work (superpower) that I can lean on to make a positive difference from day one.

If you are someone who struggles to answer this question or if you struggle to use your superpower, this breakout session is for you! Participants will leave with an ability to not only name their superpower, but also have a better understanding of how to best leverage it at work. Not all superheroes wear capes - in this case they wear purple and gold!

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Take Control of Your Financial Life: 5 Steps to Save Money and Manage Debt

Presented by TIAA / Schindler Education Center 306
Learn how to manage money, uncover how to set goals, balance your budget and use debt wisely. With the know-how you need and a little determination, you can put yourself on the path to greater lifelong financial security. In this presentation you’ll learn how to: set your goals, know your spending, create a plan, manage credit and debt, practice healthy money habits.

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Wait...It Can Do That? Practical Applications of Generative AI

Presented by Wilson Rojas / Schindler Education Center 308
Generative AI is evolving rapidly, offering new ways to work smarter and more creatively every day. In this session, you’ll see real examples of how generative AI can support communication, organization, research, and design tasks in the workplace. We’ll walk through practical tools available to you at UNI and explore how to use them effectively in everyday situations where you might need an extra hand. This is a hands‑on session. Bring your laptop to try out the tools as we go!

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The Future of Work

Presented by Robert Frederick / Schindler Education Center 309
Diving into the research on the future of work, this presentation will focus on not only what forces are shaping work of the future but its impact on employees and employers.  Not long ago, a job could last an entire career. Today, the average life cycle of a job is closer to five years—and shrinking. That means many of the roles we’re preparing people for right now may not even exist by the time they master them. The future of work isn’t just changing fast; it’s expiring fast. And that pace of change is being driven by a powerful mix of forces: rapid technological advancement, access to a global workforce, shifting demographics, and the growing complexity of communication across multiple generations in the workplace. As automation and AI redefine roles, and as five generations work side by side with different expectations and values, organizations must become more agile, more human‑centered, and more intentional about how they develop talent and culture. 

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