I had this experience in a variety of fields, including the military, where I have always been the younger "boss." I have always felt that while I have a lot to bring to the table and it is my responsibility ultimately, it is crucial to recognize the experience and ability of those working for me. It is all build on respect and the surest way to earn respect it to give it. Allow for important moments when the older employee can "guide" you and can take on responsibility. Let them see than you respect them and you are sure to earn his or her support.

Number one in the "older execs", adapting to the communication style, is required for BOTH parties. In fact, if you want to be effective, it's required for everyone. To say that the older generation must bow to the younger generation's communication preferences is downright absurd. Usually it is the manager that should match the communication style of the direct. It is more effective for the manager to amplify the effectiveness of all of his/her team than force all of them to adapt to him/her.

I can truly say I've been in both situations and was fortunate enough to have mentors counsel me. Early in my career I had to manage people twice my age and perhaps by sheer luck, applied some of the things Tammy wrote in her article. At this stage, you do have to respect the experiences of those who have "been through the trenches", ask a lot of questions, then sell your ideas rather than using your position to push through your agenda. Conversely at my current career stage, I just left a job where the Executive I reported to was 17 years my junior. Having gone through this experience on the other end, I tried to work within his comfort zone or behavior and never veto ideas based on "my experience". Admittedly, there were tensions in the beginning, but over the course of our relationship, there was a realization there is value in working towards our goal from different perspectives.

Asking senior execs to take the lead in some critical projects where their specialization will be of much use is likewise a strong manifestation of trust and respect. Them having extensive exposure on critical areas in operation may be value-adding in ensuring the success of planned programs. Doing so also allows younger members of the organization to learn from these "functional coaches." Knowledge management is effectively facilitated while optimizing on the capability of the senior execs.

It is interesting to note that as a young manager, I found it easier to manage employees who are double my age. The reason being that I was learning from them.

But as I move up the Corporate ladder, it is no longer the case of you learning from them, but what you can offer them. I agree with David on the comment that to build the relationship, you need mutual respect. Respecting the older employees that they have their value, their strengths that you need in the team, and they respect your youth, and perhaps you bring with you new perspectives into the organization.

To build this respect, it is important to have an open communication with one another, that you are here to support one another. It is also important that they feel involved in the team that you are creating.

The fact that I am "old" does not necessarily make me "wise". Leadership is all about "wisdom".

If both the young boss and the old reportee are mature enough, they would have no hassles. In fact, both would gain from each other.

So, I find this concept very interesting. However, I do understand that "it takes two to tango". Hence if one of them has not accepted the scenario, it could only mean trouble for both of them.

I have been experiencing this right from my first job. You have to be very sensitive and balanced in not making them feel inferior yet getting the job done from them. I had problems right from addressing them, questening them on their work or simply asking them to do a job.The solution was - the mutual trust and respect. Always respect and value their opinion . Prove and convince that your opinion is a lightly better one.

Learning from a senior boss can always be an interesting experience.Your opinions becomes interesting once they accept us .Impressing them initially may give an edge but overdoing will kill the 'knowledge sharing' spirit .

Interpersonal relationship holds the key in such cases as the trust has to be created over a period of time.in fact by respecting the 'space' between each other a lot can be gained through 'functional freedom' and 'expertise sharing'.

Great piece.
I also notice (being younger myself), that in the area of hobbies/lifestyle there are significant differences that can cause frictions. Also e.g. I do not have kids yet, but some of my reports are already grand parents. Also my peers tend to be older, and hence have different things 'they' chat about in the informal moments. So I have the feeling I need to be 'more boring' / 'more conservative' in order not to come across as being very green (e.g. I am a producing DJ and still go to parties in weekends that do not include high-tea and a game of golf but 'loud'-music).
Finding the balance and mutual respect and a bit more separation of private and work was needed for me to both do my work well and prevent being an outcast (to my peers, reports, and the one's I report to).

Good Note.

The age difference , in general, plays an important role in the management and understanding. The approbation is the best way to tackle the problem. The Team should have consciousness towards the company and behave rather than worrying on unnecessary false prestige issues and misunderstandings. The people should have aim to achieve the target of an organization to the extent of their duties.

This is an interesting and timely topic. I heard a panel dicsussion on this at a events planning conference and am now seeing it in many areas.
I am a project management graduate student considering this for my special topics paper. If there aer other resources --please share.

I also work at the Center for Creative Leadership(new employee) which may have some data as well.

Thanks

It is an interesting article, which in essence suggests to suspend judgement and establish a relationship based on mutual respect. I think that however the basis of any relationship that works and would like to add that there is more to it.

Firstly, it might be worth to acknowledge that there are cultural differences, for example my employees from a masculine culture and with a higher power distance and higher risk avoidance (=change adverse),for instance many German employees, seem to have found it more difficult to accept me as their (female and younger) manager than employess in the Netherlands which have a lower power distance, more feminine culture and lower risk avoidance. This implies that I needed to manage them differently and I object to expect employees to adapt to the manager's preferred cognitive or working style (especially since managers often do not last very long in some companies) I tried first to understand their preferences and then (months later) took a 'meet-us-half-way approach'.

On top of that I did not only need to manage my individual relationship with each team member, but also the way they worked together (still staying with the example of the Dutch and German part of the team). In essence, to make it work on a personal and organisational level , I made a large time investment into each of them, to understand them first, and only then started to implement incremental changes, using the Dutch as the primary change agents (pls also see Hofstede, G.(1984), Cutlture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, Beverley Hills CA: Sage.)

Another aspect is that the 'older generation' here 58+, used to be managed by people that used to be subject matter experts and this has changed in recent years. The underlying issue here is that some find it frustrating to have a manager with whom they cannot discuss the very details of their work and questionned how I could judge their value, which made it more challenging to provide intrisic rewards (assuming these are the major motivational drivers).

I think there is no universal prescription, however it is my personal belief that it is the manager's primary responsibility to understand his/her employees and team dynamics and to encourage the positive behaviour he/she wishes to implmement by taking the first step, i.e. setting a positive example first and consistently along the way. Otherwise (I know there are many exmples of 'otherwise) the chances to win over hearts and minds might be low.

And that is a belief that has little to do with age, or has it?

This is really a chalanging task for a young manager to manage an older reportee. But respectness from youger boss to older reportee can melt the ice.

On Young Bosses and Older Direct Reports
Tammy Erickson
approbation” approve, consent, praise, admiration, esteem, good opinion,
Figure out how the other likes to communicate and do your best to adapt.
Old and young. Again, don't interpret these differences as personal – it’s a generational difference. The problem is nit the tem. Tammy, the young fly of the handle fast.
2. Go out of your way to signal that you recognize and respect what the younger person brings to the party. I agree
Ask lots of questions. Here I will hold you for a sec. I have a story that perhaps will interest of many. The father was reading the paper when the young son of five saw the crow and said, “Daddy, see there is a crow”. Dad, “Yes my son,” after two minutes,” Dad there is a crow”. Yes my son. This went on for five to six times and father kept on the smile and said yes my son. The time passed when the son now 27 was reading the paper having his tea and father said, “Son there is a crow”. Son looked up and said, “Dad I see that but why bother. Let it stay, it will go away you carry on with your garden digging. Leave the crow alone”.
That may explain may psychological threats we do not perceive.
Have any of you been in the position of managing people significantly older or reporting to someone significantly younger? How have you developed the relationships? What advice would you share?
The best one is the one I had and I will confess is a solid one that can move your staff.
I had a friend in the Arusha Gymkhana Club, Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa. He was an Australian, played very good tennis. One day he came to me and asked me if I wanted to learn tennis. I was then a starter. The tennis grip was weak and the racket would spin off. Therefore, this was a good free offer I could not let go. We played from October, November and I became very good. Begin December he asked me if I wanted to join his company of Chartered accountants. I was then in other audit firm as a tax manager and he knew in the small town then, I was the only one all would turn to. He said," I will give you twice what you receive, mileage of the car, two months study leaves. Of course, we pay for your education. You go out on audits we pay you night allowances. Total this up. I was getting three fold. Could I say no? I took up the job. He gave me a separate room for tax only and a secretary to assist me to fix up the tax due charts.
He was older then me but wanted to play with until I was as good as he was and when he went back to Australia I left. If that is not the mentor, I honestly do not know what you would call that.
I thank you
Firozali Mulla MBA PhD
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa

I'm an young manager and I agree with David Hutchison. The older employees are an important support for making a decision and to increase any discussion with their experience. Always it's possible we should hear our most experient members of our team, probably the resistence against young bosses will be smaller.

I feel its the attitude that really makes a person young or old.

An old man with lot of experience but with a 'know everything and nothing more to learn' attitude is unfit in comparison to a young manager with sound knowledge and lesser experience but with a problem solving attitude.

In any organization you'll find young and old in all positions. What is really required is an open mind with an attitude to get things right. Person who can communicate effectively will be a better Manger and Team player irrespective of age.

I really agree with Vishal. Age has nothing to do with this but maturity. I have seen many 40+ acting everyday as if they were teenagers. These are the ones younger bosses will have trouble with. Now, it can be that expectations of the older direct reports relating to the position of the young boss were not managed well and there are frustrations in the air. It happens a lot. I sincerely believe that in this case, the young boss will need a lot of paciency and understanding, otherwise, he cannot manage the situation he didn't create by himself.

It is the most interesting topic that needs to be discussed in an organization setting.

Let me share you me experience in relation to an older subordinate reporting to a younger boss. Few months before, I have an older subordinate under my supervision. He had been assigned to work with other younger staff and report to younger staff i.e. me. He always thinks of doing things right in a relatively longer and unnecessary route. In addition, he loves meetings to decide even the very minor issue that could be decided under his discretion. To your surprise, he was the first one to knock my office door having a very minor issue in his hands. My duty was almost to advise him so that he will dare to decide as his workmates do. I believe, from my experience, that older people in an organization need attention more than those younger ones if they are reported to a younger supervisor.

Abeyu Kibret
Dashen Bank
Ethiopia

In my opinion the biggest problem is that people have predetermined ideas, and assumptions about work roles based on age. I do not believe these ideas or assumptions are always up to date. I work in accounting, and also as a database programmer. In my opinion they are an extraordinarily productive combination of skills not to many accountants understand. In my opinion it seems that some people expect people to have certain work roles based on age. It is difficult to look at a person as an individual for some people. A hiring manager will look at a person with an outdated hiring model that may have been popular decades ago. People expect one to be at certain point in their career at a certain age. People are hired based on these expectations, and not ability, or desire. In my opinion I have also noticed that managers may be very concerned about protecting their positions. They do not want to hire anyone who in any way might pose a threat to them in their position. The words “over qualified” are frequently used to describe a person that could be a threat to a managers position. People are most profitable working together as a team. The attitudes I describe can be extremely costly to an organization. I believe a good manager should know people, and not outdated hiring models. I believe a good manage should also educate subordinates to the current environment. The times are constantly changing.

As a young boss, i've come to learn that is key to be able to produce some hard solid results real quick, to win the respect of older generations. Once this is achieved, the old folks are more open to new ideas.

All of us, the ones that mentioned that we were or still are young bosses, must remember that in a few years we will be the "old folks"!

Mayco Castro
San Jose, Costa Rica
www.cafeparadiso.com

The issue is when the older direct report believes that they deserved your seat and you don't. My first and continuous move was to be open, show that I had no hidden agenda for him, trust him, value his knowledge, experience and contribution. Diversity in terms of generation mix is very useful and gave us (area) much more potential.