BOSTON - Just as the information technology sector has been slowly recovering following the Internet crash, one of the management issues that was so popular in the go-go high-tech days is making a comeback - younger managers managing older employees, according to ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm headquartered in Boston.
However, while a lot of the emphasis in the 1990s was on younger Generation X high-tech managers managing older employees, this issue has been spreading to other departments and functions due to the changing demographics of the work force, according to Anne Hawley Stevens, managing partner for ClearRock.
"The workforce, in general, is getting older. People are living longer and working longer because they can't afford to retire, or don't want to stop working," Stevens said. As a result, in 2005, about 40 percent of the work force is 45 years old or older - and about 5 percent is age 55 or older. By 2012, the percentage of employees age 55 and older will be nearly 20 percent, while those ages 25 to 54 will decrease to about 66 percent of the work force from 70 percent now, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
ClearRock offers the following advice to both younger managers and older employees in maximizing their working relationships with each other:
- Don't stereotype the other person. "Many older employees view younger managers - especially those in their 20s and early 30s - as technically proficient but arrogant know-it-alls, and many younger managers view older employees as having out-of-date skills, or being unwilling or unable to learn new things," said Greg Gostanian, managing partner for ClearRock. "Each person should form a view of the other on a case-by-case basis, after finding out more about their experiences, goals, and ways they can work together."
- Ask for and accept feedback. "For the best results, this should be a two-way street between younger managers and older employees," said Stevens. "Younger managers are generally hesitant to give feedback to older employees, and older workers, in turn, are generally more reluctant to accept it. By making this a mutual exercise, it will easier for both to really 'hear' the other person's feedback, and promote a beneficial working relationship."
- Help each other grow professionally. "Older employees are naturally suited to use some of their life and professional experiences to provide coaching to their younger managers," said Gostanian. "But younger managers should assist their older co-workers in learning new skills such as operating new software and hardware, and other things in which they may be more technically proficient. This mutual learning experience is another way to enhance their working relationship."
- Put yourself in the other person's shoes. "Younger managers should try to realize how difficult it is for someone sometimes significantly older than them to have to take orders from them. It's like them having to listen to their own kid brothers or sisters. Conversely, older employees should realize how uncomfortable younger managers are with having to manage them - it's like they're managing their own mothers and fathers. Each person should try to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture of how the other one feels in his or her position," said Gostanian.
- Make sure your communication with each other is clearly understood. "One of the most common reasons for problems between managers and employees in general is lack of or misunderstood communication. This is an even more critical issue when different generations are involved. Be sure to ascertain, in a non-threatening and non-confrontational way, whether each person understands the other's communication. If it isn't understood, try to re-state it another way, or provide additional details, without being antagonistic or condescending," said Stevens.
- Try to get to know each other better in a non-work environment. "Informal after-work get-togethers such as parties, sports, or cocktails, are great generational bridges. A lot of the pressures of the workplace are not present, and it's easier to relate to each other as people, rather than managers and employees," said Stevens.
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