Adapted from an article originally published in Hotel Executive and co-authored by Cara Silletto and Alayna Thomas.
It’s not even 9 a.m., and your manager is already behind. One team member asks where to find more supplies. Another says a client needs something but they can’t remember the details. A third employee wants to know if they can go home because they’re overwhelmed and can’t handle the stress today.
You may not see every one of these interactions as an executive — but you are feeling the impact.
Managers are stretched thin, frustrated that they can’t get their own work done, and confused about why their teams can’t “just figure it out.” Meanwhile, your high performers are burned out from fielding questions, and new hires don’t feel supported enough to stay.
To truly shift your culture and reduce turnover, executives must interrupt the “this used to work” cycle and better equip managers to meet the needs of a very different workforce. Today’s great leaders are compassionate coaches who build confidence, reduce dependency, and balance empathy with accountability.
Let’s break down the two biggest pain points you’re likely feeling — and how to address them.
Pain Point #1: Staff Struggle to Solve Problems Independently
Many leaders are puzzled: Why does it feel like today’s workforce has lost the ability to troubleshoot? These employees are smart and capable, yet often freeze when a workflow hiccup arises.
The answer lies in how society has changed.
GenXers — today’s middle and senior leaders — often grew up as latchkey kids, learning independence early. Millennials and GenZ, however, grew up in a more supervised, safety-conscious world with constant guidance and structured environments. They learned to collaborate, ask for help, and rely on adults or peers to step in before things went wrong.
This isn’t laziness — it’s conditioning.
Build the Problem-Solving Muscle
Too many workplaces still onboard like it’s 1999: a tour, a checklist, and “let us know if you have questions.” Newer workers often don’t know what to ask.
They don’t need hand-holding — they need clarity, context, and coaching.
Strengthen their independence by:
- Creating structured onboarding and shadowing paths
- Walking through common scenarios and explaining not just what to do but how you make decisions
- Using pre-shift meetings and one-on-ones to practice real problem-solving
- Shifting from “Here’s what you did wrong,” to “How could we approach this differently next time?”
This is how confidence and competence grow — through repetition, support, and space to learn safely. You didn’t become a strong leader overnight, and neither will they. But investing now yields future efficiency, stronger morale, and better retention.
Pain Point #2: Personal Challenges Are Showing Up at Work More Than Ever
Even if your team could problem-solve independently, leaders today are also navigating a rise in personal and mental health challenges at work. Previous generations separated personal life from professionalism. Today’s workforce is far more open about stress, burnout, and life struggles.
This isn’t a lack of professionalism — it reflects changing norms across society.
What one generation learned as “suck it up, buttercup,” another learned as “protect your health and boundaries.” When these mindsets collide without guidance, frustration builds on both sides and turnover spikes.
Balance Empathy With Accountability
Resilience, like problem-solving, is a skill that grows over time with the right support.
Leaders must act as both coach and advocate:
- Ask deeper questions to understand what’s really going on
- Build regular check-ins into your culture
- Offer flexibility when it’s possible and appropriate
- Hold people accountable while still helping them navigate real-life obstacles
Empathy isn’t a burden — it’s a retention strategy. When employees feel seen and supported, they stay. When they feel dismissed or overwhelmed, they leave.
Why Executives Must Lead the Charge
Your competition isn’t just the hotel next door — it’s every employer that’s hiring. If your environment doesn’t meet the needs of a multi-generational workforce, people will find one that does.
Turnover is avoidable, but only if executives are willing to rethink “the way we’ve always done it.” The management styles that worked for past generations are no longer the ones that attract and retain talent today.
Executives must equip managers with:
- Training to coach problem-solving
- Tools to navigate mental health conversations
- Support to balance empathy with accountability
- Clear expectations and consistent follow-through
When leaders grow, teams grow. And when teams thrive, your organization becomes a place where people want to stay.
