Roberta C.
Talent Maximizer-CEO Roberta Matuson & Co., Author-Suddenly in Charge. Named a Washington Post Top 5 Leadership Book
Would you be willing to speak with me for a book proposal on Managing Up?
I am seeking people in management roles that are currently working for bosses that are young enough to be their children. I'd like to hear what you are doing to manage these relationships. By that I mean, what are you doing to make these relationships work? (Note: Please don't tell me that you don't need to manage these relationships!) Please e-mail responses to Roberta@yourhrexperts.com. I'll be back in touch with those people that I feel would be a good fit for this topic.
Thank you!
Roberta
Answers (6)
Alan H.
IT Data Center Project Manager
Best Answers in: Business Development (3), Mentoring (1), Public Relations (1), Organizational Development (1), Business Plans (1)
This happens a lot in the US Military. Speaking from personal experience in the Army, I remember many young officers being managed by their NCO's.
It's a part of the culture for the young leader to become aware that he has a lot to learn from his team.
I would suggest you seek out those stories from military NCO's.
Sheree R.
Recruiter - Hiring for Otsuka Pharmaceuticals - Hospital Sales - sheree.ruland@futurestep.com
Hi Roberta,
What a great and interesting idea, we all know this happens a lot! I've reported to people who are younger than me, but not young enough to be my children. I know others who are in this situation, let me look around and try to find a few of them for you.
Good luck and talk to you soon!
Sheree
Sheree R. also suggests this expert on this topic:
Hauke S.
Vice President, GHR Shared Services PMO at State Street
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Roberta,
I have been on the flip side of that coin as a manager managing people with a significant age difference. If you need that perspective, please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn.
Good luck with the research.
Here are my suggestions:
1) There should be a foundation of RESPECT in the company culture (see the website below). This means that the company stands for respect crossing all potential boundaries, age, race, background, etc. This has to start at the top and the leaders need to walk the talk.
2) The culture of the company should also foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement and learning. Everyone needs to understand that we all learn from each other, regardless of position or authority. The internet with all of the social media tools is a prime example of the power of learning through forums, online communities, etc. Learning from one another is another way of showing respect, which leaves people feeling valued and appreciated.
3) The manager should work to create a background of relatedness with the people they manage. Find out what is important to them and who they are as individuals. This has to be authentic, you cannot pretend here. People know when you don't really care, and that is worse than doing nothing.
4) The manager should take an interest and care about their growth and work with them to succeed. Some people are more talented in this area than others. But a great manager knows how to "cause" their teams greatness, "creates" their greatness, and then gets out of their way.
Links:
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A very interesting and useful topic. But, with me it's the other way round. I had people reporting to me who are much younger ( say 20 years) and even these relations are to be managed. I had to make them walk with me for me to succeed as a leader. It was not that easy and had to weigh their experience and the complexity of the issue versus their attitude of " anything new is no good" or their old known ways of working. Just let me know if you are interested and I will be happy to share some of my experiences.
Good luck!
