Managing older subordinates

“He knows the water best who has waded through it.”

 - - - Danish proverb

All new managers have dreams to attain and hence display of more-than-usual enthusiasm by them should be understandable. The contests, challenges and struggles in their climb up the career ladder are deep and intense. The measure of their success lies not in managing people but in leading them and making certain that every member stays focused on the same tactical and premeditated aims.

Your team may and will comprise people elder to you,. Leading them is a daunting task and which, if not executed properly can lead to misgivings and agitation. However, the fact is that there is no cause to lose your sleep. You should consider the following golden principles in managing older subordinates:

·   Don’t let your confidence dip:  You have to ensure that your self-confidence and poise is not disturbed; and that your capabilities are not diminished in any way. Your self-assuredness also has to be upheld and for that you have to be appropriately assertive as a person in charge. In their over-enthusiastic initiatives, young managers have a tendency to ignore or give the boot to older team-members because they apprehend that because of their experience, they could be outshined. You should always consider organizational interests in mind and acknowledge that you have been placed above others because of your acumen and competence.

·   Hold older employees in esteem: There is no denying the fact that the older the employee, the more world he would have seen. Therefore, there is nothing wrong in appreciating his experience and deriving advantage from it. In addition, you will also be able to strike a chord with them and win their faith and support. After all, reverence and trust are a give-and-take affair. You ought to tap into their capabilities and experience; there is no better way to do that than acknowledging their skills and having no hesitation in consulting them. Older subordinates should be seen as your mentors and making this fact known to them will pay you for sure.

·   Formulate shared targets:  Age is of no consequence amongst team members. There could be a difference, but what is important is that if you have common objectives, you efforts will be in sync. Moreover, you will be able to foster a culture of openness, faith and reliance. To put it differently, you need not aspire to be the sole seer but on the contrary, you should make certain that everybody in your team, including older people contribute to your visualization and make things happen.

·   Don’t have a rigid approach:  Compared to others, older employees need relatively more give and hence require relatively additional focus. Their experience can be a boon, provided you are willing to make allowances for them. Such allowances could be in the form of considerations like leave, domestic obligations and health needs. It is you who has to be instrumental in putting across their specific requirements to your management.

·   Be unruffled in crisis situations:   Under trying circumstances, if you lose your poise, you do not stand to gain. Older subordinates feel that young bosses are ground-breaking and pioneering; and with regard to astute counsel and prudent decisions, they have a tendency to be doubtful. Therefore, you need to exercise your sang-froid and remain composed – in this way you will be able to maintain your level of self-assuredness. You have to be discreet in your choice of words while talking and take all steps to not display any agitation in crises. All employees – and older ones are no exception – seek in their leader good sense, forethought and ability to be in command, both in trying and smooth circumstances.

The experience of others adds to your learning. If you would like to know the road ahead, you need to ask someone who has traveled it, even if it was a gravel path. Older employees afford you an opportunity to do just that. After all, life can only be understood backwards. But since has to be lived forward, you have to set direction because you are at the wheel.