Managing older employees can sometimes be a challenge for younger managers. There are things that can be done to create a great team, though.
Managers have quite a lot to manage throughout a day. They receive and delegate tasks, they coordinate the work of the team, and they make sure everyone completes their part of the job correctly and on time. When the manager is young and their position imposes authority over older and more experienced members of the team, the tasks involved in managing older employees can get a bit tricky.
Some of these employees will underestimate the potential of a young manager just because they got the position only a few years into their careers. The employees have been in the company for a longer period of time, and they may assume they have greater knowledge and skill than the younger members of the team. With this attitude, they will not accept the authority of the manager. They will object.
How do you overcome a situation of this type? How do you manage employees who are older than you without any disrespect involved?
Prove that You’re an Expert
You deserved this position by showing hard work and knowledge. The leaders of the company believed in you since you proved you could do well in this position. The next step is to prove the same thing to the employees.
Do you have a blog? That could really help. If you start publishing white papers, in-depth articles, and studies related to your area of study, you’ll cement your status as an expert in the field. If you don’t have any experience with blogging, you can collaborate with the writers and editors from UK Best Essays or services like theirs. They will provide personalized lessons on how to start a blog and what kind of content to write.
And if you don’t have time for writing content, you can use a writing service. You’ll share your posting schedule with a writer, and you’ll collaborate throughout the process. Best Dissertation is a very flexible service that you can use on your own terms.
The important thing is to share your knowledge not only with your team but with the world as well.
Treat Your Employees as Experts, Too
Do you know what employees hate more than a young manager? A young and overly confident manager. You’re not the kind of person who thinks they are above everyone else, right? You’re not the kind of person who refuses to learn something from a person below their level in the company, right?
You want to treat your employees with the utmost respect. The fact that they are older says a lot. They have the experience you can learn from. Each of them is an expert at what they do, so respect that and learn from them.
Practice Self-Confidence
You’re the boss, after all. The process of building confidence and self-esteemis not easy for everyone. If you’re a shy or introverted person, it might be difficult for you to practice authority, especially with employees who are older than you. But you have to do it.
Start by collaborating with your team. When you delegate tasks, you can ask how you can help. If you’re part of the actual team, you’ll feel more comfortable working with them. However, you should also set specific expectations, confront all issues that arise during the work, and hold team members accountable. That’s what makes you a manager. Even if you lack self-esteem, you’ll have to live up to your position. You’ll start feeling more comfortable with those tasks over time.
Be Ready to Handle Criticism
Some of your employees will critique you for being young. It’s not illegal to become a manager at a young age. But some people won’t like it, and they will confront you about it. When you try to correct some of their work or behavior, you might get the “You’re too inexperienced to understand” argument. That’s not a fair argument. Some people will make it anyway.
Be ready for such criticism. You can kindly explain that you’re old enough to do this job, and you have precise guidelines on how to do it. Then, redirect the conversation. Instead of talking about age, start talking about the actual tasks and explain why you believe it should be done in a certain way.
Never argue about your age. It’s an irrelevant topic, so dismiss it as quickly as you can. Focus on the job, and do it well.
Own the Leadership Position!
You’re young. That’s not necessarily a weakness. You’re in a leadership position, so you better live up to it. Older employees may not like the fact that it only took you a few years to get there. However, through dedication and hard work, you’ll make them see that you have what it takes. You’ll work together as a team, and you’ll achieve great things!
Join the conversation!