How to lead older peers as a young manager

Managing a team of diverse age groups is increasingly common in today's workforce, where older employees often remain in their roles and younger individuals take on leadership positions.

This dynamic can present unique challenges, especially when managing peers who are close to your parents' age and may not initially respect your authority.

The fact is that age distribution across several industries has become varied as more older employees hold on to their jobs and young people enter the workforce, allowing for more leadership roles for younger employees. 

But what do you do when you manage peers close to the age of your own parents (who don’t seem to like you)?

Here are five quick tips to keep in mind:

Honour their experience

In many cases, older peers have more experience in the field, and it's important to respect that experience. Acknowledge their expertise and leverage their insights by seeking their advice when appropriate. Being a manager doesn’t make you more knowledgeable or entitle you to issue directives, but instead entails embracing your position to listen actively.

Develop a sense of empathy

Usually, as we grow older, we incur more responsibilities. These responsibilities can affect certain aspects of our work. For example, a working mother may come in late on a day she has to attend a parent-teacher conference.

Similarly, an employee taking care of elderly parents may have to work from home from time to time. As a young single employee, these life situations may be foreign to you, and you may forget to be empathic to those who are more mature and live a different lifestyle. Don’t overlook that. 

Remember the value you add

Regain your confidence by committing to memory the unique abilities you contribute to the team. After all, you are a manager for a reason. Older peers may have more experience, but you have the ability to bring new skills or fresh perspectives to the table.

Prioritise a collaborative environment

Encourage open communication and collaboration within your team. Create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels their contributions are valued. This not only helps bridge the age gap but also promotes mutual respect and understanding, leading to a more cohesive and productive team.

Act your role

By this, I mean dig in your heels and continue to do your job. You don’t have to be liked, but you need to be trusted. One of your responsibilities as a manager is to find out your team members' individual strengths and motivate them accordingly, allowing the team to produce the best results possible under your management.

Build your credibility

Address and manage your emotions as you professionally assert yourself in your role. Build credibility by keeping team members in the loop, offering support in appropriate ways, and demonstrating your willingness to establish professional relationships. 

Unfortunately, when you are a young manager, you can assume being dismissed and overlooked as being part of the territory. But remember, having the role of manager doesn’t instantly entitle you to the respect of one. Respect is earned. Managing older peers can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible.

It's all about striking the balance between respect and confidence, building relationships, and focusing on shared goals. With the right approach, you can successfully manage older peers and contribute to a productive and positive work environment. 

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