How to Supervise Older People at Work

What happens when you’re put in charge of a team of people at work, and you’re considerably younger than some of the people you supervise? Here’s how to make the most out of what can feel like a socially awkward situation.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• An employee handbook
• Patience

1. Convince yourself that you earned the promotion. You may not have been at your job the longest, but you were chosen to supervise for a reason that has nothing to do with age. Once you acknowledge your own talents as a leader in the workplace, the easier it will be for you to tell the older folks on your team what to do.
2. Take your job seriously. If you want to earn the respect of older people at work, don’t act like a goofy kid. Mocking procedures or upper management makes you look like an amateur instead of as the bright young professional you’d like to be seen as.
3. Listen to the older people on the team you supervise. One of the benefits of having older people on your team at work is that they can tell you about how things have changed and evolved over the years. They can be a valuable addition to your knowledge base about how your company works and where it might be headed in the future. Treat the older folks you supervise as a resource. They’ll be honored you asked.
4. Don’t be afraid to get personal. If you’re friendly with other co-workers, don’t give older people on your team the cold shoulder out of nervousness. Look at pictures of kids and grandkids, ask about holiday celebrations, and treat them as you’d like to be treated socially.
5. Allow yourself more time to talk things out with the older people on your team, and they will consider you an ally. When you need to announce a policy change or come up with a new business plan, expect that the older people on your team will want to know the reasoning behind the change, ask questions, and give feedback. If you are patient and allow open discussion to happen, they will look to you as a way for them to have a voice in what can otherwise feel like an impersonal process.
6. Be firm when it’s time to make a decision. Open discussion and listening to stories about grandchildren are great ways to help the older people you supervise feel comfortable in their work environment, but you’re still the boss. If something isn’t up for discussion, say so. You’ll earn respect for being a firm boss, and your older team members are more likely to trust your judgment since you’re usually not a unilateral decision-maker.

Tips & Warnings

• If an older person on your team feels resentment that you were picked to supervise and not her, don’t be afraid to talk about it. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but it sounds like I could benefit from your experience. Let’s work together on this project,” can smooth over a rough transition period.
• If you feel like you’re taking an unnecessary amount of sass in your new supervisor position, don’t be afraid to take disciplinary action standard with company policy. The longer you let it go, the more likely it is to continue.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
• University of Phoenix, degree Programs to Fit Your Life.