You were just promoted into a management position or asked to lead a project team – and you’re the youngest person in the group. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to managing people who are older or have more expertise than you.
When I began my career in the sales operations department at a large medical equipment company, I was like most college graduates – excited and willing to work hard to learn everything possible. Within a year, my employer acquired another company and I was chosen by management to work on integrating the sales operations departments of both companies. I was 23 years old.
To make matters worse, I was also petite in size (former gymnast) and had blonde hair. In baseball terms, you could say that I had three strikes against me: young, petite and blonde.
I still remember my first trip to the acquired company as if it were yesterday. After taking a taxi from the airport, I checked in with the receptionist and waited in the empty reception area. A few minutes later a man, who appeared to be in his early 50s, came down the stairs, looked around the reception room (ignoring me) and then went over to the receptionist. I watched the receptionist point to me, the man shook his head, and then the receptionist pointed to me again.
As the man walked toward me, his expression changed from surprise to shock. “You’re the person they sent here for the integration work?” he asked, with disbelief (bordering on disdain) dripping from his voice. “How old are you anyway? Sixteen?”
That integration project was my first experience managing a group of people who were older than me. It was challenging, frustrating and yet exhilarating. Over time and as the team got to know me, the negative comments about my age took on a different tone and evolved from “I thought this was take your daughter to work day” and “I can’t believe they sent someone so young” to “I can’t believe you know so much about the computer system and processing orders.”
Through my own experiences and as a career coach helping others, here are seven insights when it comes to managing people who are older or more experienced.
Be confident in your skills, and don’t let other people’s comments negatively affect your performance. If you’ve been given a leadership position, there’s obviously at least someone who believes you can do the job. So stop worrying about your age, dig deep for inner self-confidence and try to let any negative comments about your age roll off your back.
Value the expertise of others, but don’t shy away from being the leader. Generally speaking, the older the employee, the more knowledgeable they are. Get to know the people on your team, so you can take advantage of each individual’s areas of expertise. Treat all employees with the same level of respect and give credit to others where credit is due. But, never forget that you’re the group’s leader – and that you must act accordingly.
Be a leader, but don’t over-exert your authority. While we’re on the topic of leadership, remember that it’s about inspiring others. As John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” A good leader is part of the team and willingly participates; a bad boss expects the team to work for them. Avoid using the power of your management position or coercive power (threats of punishment) to get things done – as this is a key sign of an insecure manager.
Be “real” with your team, and don’t claim expertise you don’t have. No one is an expert in every topic, so don’t try to pretend that you are. Most people appreciate honesty about strengths and weaknesses, so be willing to share yours with the team and encourage others to do the same. Being truthful with your team will also help to build trust.
Share your vision, but ask for the input and feedback from others. You might be young, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing. So share your vision for the team/department/group. Just don’t forget to solicit their advice and feedback. This will also help ensure buy-in to the final solution or strategic plan.
Manage with compassion, but don’t be afraid to address issues. Being a compassionate manager means showing kindness, treating others with respect and demonstrating a willingness to help everyone on your team. But it doesn’t mean employees can take advantage of you, simply because of your young age. Compassion is also about holding others accountable for their life lessons when there are performance, behavior or ethical issues – so don’t shy away from conflicts; address them immediately when they occur.
Learn everything you can about how to be a people manager, and use your HR department as your career development partner. Becoming a people manager (especially of employees who are older or have more expertise) sometimes feels like jumping into the deep end of a really cold swimming pool for the first time – both terrifying and exciting. Don’t feel like you have to go it alone. Most HR specialists are excellent at helping new managers create career development plans, connecting them with experienced mentors and helping them obtain training to learn all the necessary skills for managing others.
Lisa Quast, author of the book, Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time. Join me on Twitter @careerwomaninc
Also on Forbes:
