How to manage someone older than you

How to manage someone older than youMost of us are used to a certain dynamic at workthose above us in the pecking order have typically been in the workforce longer and are older, and those below us are relatively newer to the world of work and are likely younger. However, this dynamic has effectively been thrown overboard in a wide array of industries. Today, were seeing younger and younger individuals in lages of power and influence in the workforce, and these days its not uncommon for the power hierarchy to be reversed, with older individuals reporting to younger bosses. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) According to a recent article in Harvard Business Review, Younger bossesalready prevalent in industries like IT, professional services, and accountingwill likely become more so as companies promote young Millennials into leadership positions and organizations make more of an effort to retain top talent, says Jeanne C. Meister, a founding partner of Future Workplace, the human resources consultancy, and coauthor ofThe 2020 Workplace. Its a potentially uncomfortable, potentially conflict-ridden situation, she says, but it doesnt have to be.The truth is, managing someone older than youor vice versacan be a challenge, but so is any power dynamic between two individuals with distinct personalities and backgrounds. Sometimes this reverse dynamic works well, and older individuals take advantage of the opportunity to acquire a fresh and gammeln knowhow and skill set from their younger supervisors, while other times theres a bit more friction. While there are no hard and fast rules that are guaranteed to work in every situation, there are some things that can be done to help ease this possibly delicate situation.If youve found yourself in the position of managing someone whos older than you, use the following strategies to maximize the chances that this working dynamic will be a smooth and efficient relationship.Lose the eg o.Okay, you may be the young hotshot at your office, but if you have an older employee reporting to you it wont do you any favors to keep reminding them of this. They already know youre younger and in a position of power, so mentioning this over and over again will only make things worse. Try being a bit more humbleit often works well on younger and older employees alike.Be ready to listen.People appreciate it when they feel that their voices are being heard, and they have respect for those who are willing to hear their point of view. Listening puts others at ease and empowers and motivates them to do their best work. Isnt that what you want from someone who reports to you?Motivate respectfully.Skip the platitudes and demeaning clichs chances are, theyve heard them all before. Also, having them come from someone younger could really backfire. Be respectful when trying to motivate an older employee and youll increase the chances of getting positive results.Be open to learning.Just as youd like to be respected in the workplace, older employees would like to be respected for the wealth of experience and skills that they bring to the table. The most effective supervisor-subordinate relationships are those that demonstrate mutual respect and a willingness from both sides to learn and benefit from each other. If youre managing someone older than you, be open to the learning experience going both ways.Demonstrate value.In any good supervisor-subordinate relationship, the supervisor makes it clear that they have valuable knowledge and skills to pass along. Older employees can typically benefit from learning modern technology and skill sets for example, and if youre the schriftart of supervisor whos willing to demonstrate this sort of value, youre more than likely to earn the respect and dedication of an older employee.The world of work is changing rapidly in many exciting ways, and all the old career rules are rapidly flying out the window. In order to keep up, new ru les need to be written, including how to handle the younger boss/older employee dynamic. If you find yourself in this position, fear notuse the strategies mentioned here and youll be umgebung yourself up for lasting success.

Fairygodboss Of The Week Ann Shoket

Fairygodboss Of The Week Ann Shoket In our book, one of the main criteria for being a Fairygodboss is using your own successes to lift otzu sich women up. Thats what Ann Shoket has forged a career off doing, first as executive editor at CosmoGIRL, then as editor in chief of Seventeen Magazine from 2007 to 2014, and now as the author of The Big Life, her new guide to career and life maximization for millennial women (complete with a corresponding Badass Babes newsletter). Here, Shoket shares with us her 1 best badass-babe tip for the woman carving out her lifes path on her own terms.FGB Tell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?AS My first job welches definitely NOT a dream job. I was an assistant at The American Lawyer Magazine. My big accomplishment, aside from not being fired, was that I learned to be a killer reporter. I loved asking nosy questions. During the day I had this intensely boring job, but at night, I had a sexy side hustle. I launched a c ool downtown zugnglich magazine. Yeah, yeah, every J-school grad has a website now, right? Well this was 1996 and almost everyone was still on dial upNext I landed a job at a teen news magazine, then went to launch CosmoGirl. This was the first time I got excited about that moment in your life when youre becoming who youre meant to be. Its when you are pure potential. Anything is possible.It was 13 years in the publishing industry before I landed the Big Job Editor in Chief of Seventeen magazine. And I did that job for 7, almost 8 years. I loved it and it was an honor to be at such a legendary magazine.But, when your dream job is a corporate job, it is susceptible to corporate restructuring. And so when the mag was reorganized 2014 and that job ended, I was OK with it. I had done that job. But that was not the end of my big dream.... or the end of the conversation Id been having for years with young women about becoming the person youre meant to be.My book, The Big Life, is a contin uation of that conversation. The stakes are higher in your 20s and 30s and some women say they feel lost without rules or role models. Thats where The Big Life steps in to help you craft the life you want, on your own terms.FGB What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?AS I relish every email I get from young women who say The Big Life has illuminated a dark corner of her life or offered the kind of sisterhood she needed to feel validated for wanting her life to be different, bigger. That is what keeps me moving forward.FGB Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? and Why?AS I was hired to be editor-in-chief of Seventeen by Cathie Black, who was then president of Hearst Magazines. I learned so much by just watching her at work. How she delivered good news, and bad, how she ran a meeting, how she let you know when the meeting was over. We are still in touch and Im still learning so much from her.FGB What do you do when youre not working?AS Im never not working. All Work All The Time, All Life All The Time.FGB If you could have dinner with one famous person dead or alive who would it be?AS My great grandmother I heard she was a killer business woman.Lightning RoundFGB What is your karaoke song?AS Little Red Corvette.FGB What is your favorite movie?AS The Princess Bride.FGB What book would you bring with you on a desert island?AS The Big Life.FGB What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?AS Real estate (and shoes).FGB What is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you? AS Lose the five year plan I never had a plan to become editor in chief of a legendary magazine. I never had a plan to write a book. I kept my eyes open, paid attention to opportunities, and looked for ways I could tread into new territory and make my mark.(Source Ann Shoket)Fairygodboss is all about women helping other women. So each week, we celebrate a woman who makes a difference in other womens careers. Is there a wom an who has made a difference in your career? Celebrate and thank her by nominating her here.