Tips for a New Manager: How To Manage Someone Older Than You

1. 9 Tips to Effectively Manage Older Employees. October 8, 2021. …
2. 1) Keep an Open Mind. …
3. 2) Leverage Their Experience. …
4. 3) Encourage Learning New Skills. …
5. 4) Take the Time to Understand Their Motivations. …
6. 5) Appreciate Lifestyle Differences. …
7. 6) Be Open to Feedback. …
8. 7) Find Commonalities.

A defense contractor hired me a few weeks later to oversee operations for a training program at the Pentagon. High-ranking Department of Defense officials would deploy smoothly to Afghanistan to act as advisors to the Afghan government, and it was my job to get them ready for that. I sat at the forefront of the U. S. and NATO’s efforts in Central Asia in terms of foreign policy, and I was up for the challenge. In fact, everything I had done up to that point in my life had been a preparation for this very chance. I was ready.

I was so excited that it got me through my first few working hours. I was sent in to manage a much older team, and I was extremely courteous, upbeat, and helpful to them. My work was going great until an official who was at least thirty years my senior interrupted me mid-sentence and genuinely expressed shock, “How old are you?”

Managing difficult and older employees – New manager how to

Ease into change

Another error that new managers frequently make is changing current procedures and processes right away. The change management process can be crucial when leading an older team to ensure their successful adoption of the new procedure. Ask those who have been there longer than you for their perspective rather than making changes right away. Spend some time outlining why the change is critical to the organization’s success. Older team members will feel like a part of the process and be aware that change is coming even if they disagree with the change. Prior to implementing more significant updates, it can also be helpful to make smaller changes first.

Earn respect by building relationships

Some of the most fulfilling professional experiences can come from managing a team. As a new manager, you might anticipate leading a group of people who are eager to carry out your plan for success and immediately take your lead. But for new leaders who anticipate respect right away after taking a management position, this is frequently a wake-up call.

Earning respect as a leader requires developing strong relationships with your team, especially with team members who are older than you. When you’re a leader, your subordinates are probably more interested in your vision, abilities, and direction as it relates to their particular work than, for instance, your educational background or professional experience.

Here are a few quick strategies for fostering relationships with older reports:

Seek feedback, not approval

Although the choice to make a change ultimately rests with you, getting input from senior staff members may help you make it. Your experiment, change, or novel idea might have already been tried. However, you should explain what you are doing differently or how the circumstance has changed so that the change may now be effective.

Your older reports will probably feel heard and that their perspective and experience are valued when you bring them up in the conversation. They might be able to offer perspective that you might not have thought of, increasing the likelihood that your change will be successful. They can also help increase buy-in with other team members. They may be respected by the team members as a more senior employee. Others may accept a change if they speak favorably about it.

Work alongside your team

Praise for effort is another tactic for controlling someone more senior than you. Many workers, including older workers, want to be recognized for a job well done, and not receiving such recognition can have negative effects. 31% of job seekers who responded to a different Indeed survey said they didn’t get regular recognition at work. 2 There are numerous ways to commend employees for a job well done, such as through verbal praise, team-wide emails, performance evaluations, or rewards.

Build work relationships, not friendships

Although it’s natural to want to get along with your coworkers, it’s more appropriate to cultivate a good professional network. An older team member may find it easier to form friendships with teammates who are closer in age to them, which could make them feel isolated.

Strategies for building friendly working relationships include:

Keeping your social media interactions with the team to professional networking sites only To maintain a professional appearance, you must draw this line between your personal and professional lives. Make social media accounts private and strive to maintain your best online persona.

Keep conversations work-appropriate. While it’s acceptable to inquire about your team’s weekend activities on a Monday morning, refrain from disclosing too much personal information.

Be prepared to answer questions about your age with confidence. You hold a management position as a result of your ability to lead others and depth of knowledge in your field. Although it is impolite to discuss age at work, it may come up in conversation or you may be directly asked. If disclosing your age is not something you’d like to do, consider responding with something like, “My ability to lead this team is more important than my age.” ”.

Develop an authentic leadership style

Start by asking yourself the following questions to determine what type that might be:

Your responses to these questions can help identify the leadership style that you possess naturally. Try these tactics for improvement once you’ve decided on the type of leadership style you’d like to develop:

The best leaders use a blend of leadership styles. As a manager, you’ll learn which approach to take as you advance in your career, including how to deal with managing senior employees.

1 Indeed job seeker study by Decipher/FocusVision (base: all respondents who applied for jobs, N=1,000) 2 Indeed job seeker study by Decipher/FocusVision (base: all respondents who applied for jobs, N=776)

FAQ

How do you manage someone who is older than successfully?

1. Be humble. …
2. Understand how they like to communicate. …
3. Learn from your older employees. …
4. But don’t let them push you around. …
5. Find co-leaders. …
6. Be open about your way of doing things. …
7. Make it known that you intend to stick with it.

How do you manage and motivate older employees?

1. Don’t Make Assumptions. It is a myth to assume that older workers will work harder and longer hours.
2. Remember the Age Difference. …
3. Communication is the Key. …
4. Value Life Experience. …
5. Train Them. …
6. Security Needs. …
7. Don’t “Be the Boss” …
8. Be Flexible.

How can organizations manage older workers?

“You should be concerned for the team’s welfare, solicit feedback rather than just give it, and make success about the team rather than yourself,” You must be assertive to get their attention and earn their respect, even though you should respect their opinions and sympathize with them. “.

How do you manage more people as seniors?

1. Be self-conscious. …
2. Remain confident. …
3. Acknowledge their expertise. …
4. Admit that you don’t know everything. …
5. Give room to your team members. …
6. Challenge your team to help them grow. …
7. Ask them for feedback. …
8. Be the big picture person.