Intentar ORO - Gratis

Why talking to strangers is crucial for Gen Z’s success in the workplace

The Star

|

September 19, 2025

SOCIAL CURRENCY

- TERRY VAN DER WALT

A QUESTION from an inspirational speaker on business leadership to a couples therapist and intimacy expert has got people talking, literally.

The question by the US author Simon Sinek to therapist Esther Perel was: "What is the number one relationship skill Gen Zs should master before starting their first job?"

Her answer was quick and simple: "Talk to strangers."

Essential job skill

Perel believes that talking to strangers isn't just good for life, it is also an essential job skill, particularly for Gen Zs whose lives have been hugely influenced by social media and the Covid19 pandemic.

"When you spend all your time like this (as she looks down at a phone), you don't know who's around you, you don't talk to people on a plane, you don't talk to people in the queue, you don't talk to people while you wait for your coffee, you don't talk to strangers.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE The Star

The Star

Cohabiting couples can claim joint estate

THE Supreme Court of Appeal in a recent judgment once again recognised cohabiting relationships, where couples are not married, and noted that the partnership does not need to be formal, such as in the case of marriage, before one partner can share in the joint estate accumulated during their cohabitation.

time to read

2 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

The Star

Mbeki : It ‘hurts’ me when Operation Dudula blames foreign nationals for SA’s problems

FORMER President Thabo Mbeki says it hurts him when he sees Operation Dudula blaming foreign nationals for South Africa's problems, adding that the nation's challenges cannot be blamed on migrants.

time to read

2 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

The Star

From 3-Step pioneer to global force: Thakzin opens ‘Gods Window’

THAKZIN, born Thabang Mathebula, has become one of the most recognised forces in South African music.

time to read

4 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

Closed doors controversy: Madlanga Commission delays proceedings

THE Madlanga Commission was adjourned again yesterday morning following an application by media houses to stop the proceedings from being held behind closed doors.

time to read

1 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

The Star

ASP Isotopes announces major expansion with new supply agreement and acquisition

THE JSE share price of ASP Isotopes, an advanced materials company that produces isotopes for various industries, surged by 28% to R210 on Monday after the announcement of a new supply agreement for enriched silicon-28 and a strategic acquisition.

time to read

2 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

IMF meetings to begin under fresh cloud of US-China trade tensions

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank's semiannual gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors gets underway in Washington on Monday, against the backdrop of new trade threats from the world's two largest economies.

time to read

2 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

Lunga Momoza: The most expensive intern in South Africa

MOST people in tech start a career as interns and ultimately they become CEOs and if they start a business they also become tech founders. It's rare for anyone to start as a founder and to later become an intern. This has been the case with Lunga Momoza, which makes him probably one of the most expensive interns in South Africa.

time to read

3 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

A tribute and a transition: Fourie, Reddy, and the Book of Legacy

IN A WARM, meaningful exchange yesterday, Dr Leila Fourie, outgoing CEO of the JSE, handed me a copy of Architects of Influence: Women in Business, a fitting token from a leader whose tenure has embodied that very narrative.

time to read

1 min

October 14, 2025

The Star

How deadly N1 bus crash could have been avoided

Outcry over the accident that claimed over 40 lives, as calls for a thorough investigation mount

time to read

3 mins

October 14, 2025

The Star

Trio wins economics Nobel for work on tech-driven growth

The Nobel prize in economics was awarded on Monday to American-Israeli Joel Mokyr, France's Philippe Aghion and Canada's Peter Howitt for work on technology's impact on sustained economic growth.

time to read

1 min

October 14, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size