{"id":6154,"date":"2017-02-12T07:26:15","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T11:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6154"},"modified":"2017-02-12T07:26:15","modified_gmt":"2017-02-12T11:26:15","slug":"tips-for-working-for-a-much-younger-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6154","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Working for a Much Younger Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>A childhood friend, who\u2019s 56, sent me a note saying he was just fired from his contract position as a financial analyst at a large nonprofit, which he\u2019d been told would likely lead to a full-time opportunity. He was hired there six months ago and was uber-qualified for the work. But I had an inkling this might happen because of his dicey relationship with his much younger boss<\/a>.<\/header>\n
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When my friend and I had coffee two months ago, he mentioned that his 32-year-old boss wasn\u2019t thrilled about having this \u201cold man\u201d helicopter in to \u201cfix\u201d things in her department. She was impatient with him, he said, and rolled her eyes when he asked questions. She was also sarcastic towards him in public and didn\u2019t invite my friend to team get-togethers. Plus: she intentionally left him off emails and didn\u2019t include him in key meetings.<\/p>\n

Why My Friend Lost His Job<\/h3>\n

My friend told me he tried to talk to his boss about their working relationship and she discounted any problems. Finally, he asked her boss<\/em> for a \u201crespectful\u201d work environment and whether he could report to someone else. Then he got axed. My theory is that his young boss worried my friend would take her job and was threatened by him.<\/p>\n

As I told Dr. Phil: Never forget that networking is just one letter away from not working.<\/p>\n

READ COLUMN ON FORBES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Although I\u2019m only hearing his side of the story, I know in my heart that the root of it is the older worker\/younger boss dilemma pervasive in workplaces across America.<\/p>\n

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\"Dr.
Kerry Hannon talking about older workers\/younger bosses on ‘Dr. Phil’ Credit: Dr. Phil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Talking to Dr. Phil About Having a Much Younger Boss<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Getting along with your boss can be a test for all of us at times, but imagine having someone nearly 30 years younger than you telling you what to do. That\u2019s what I recently talked, and offered tips, about on a recent segment of The Dr. Phil Show<\/em><\/a>. I also wrote about the sometime power struggle between younger bosses and older workers in my book Love <\/em><\/a>\"\"<\/a>Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness<\/em> and speak about it frequently to audiences around the country.<\/p>\n

As I told Dr. Phil, older worker\/younger boss issues can affect employees\u2019 job performance and productivity. A September 2016 study<\/a> in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that most workers at firms with managers younger than themselves reported more negative emotions, such as anger and fear, than those with older managers.<\/p>\n

The study noted that having a younger boss goes against long-held career and status norms. We\u2019re used to reporting to someone older and more experienced. So the generational shift can be disturbing psychologically. The anger more than likely stems from not feeling valued and respected; there may be some resentment, too. Plus there\u2019s the genuine fear of getting fired if the boss isn\u2019t on board with having an older worker on the team.<\/p>\n

As more older workers stay on the job longer, I think employers need to provide more leadership training for younger bosses to work with older workers, so it\u2019s a win for everyone.<\/p>\n

6 Tips for Older Workers With Younger Bosses<\/h3>\n

But in the meantime, here are my six top tips if you\u2019re struggling with working for a much younger boss:<\/p>\n

1. Manage your attitude.<\/strong> Pause and do some soul searching. Is your unhappiness about you or the boss? Could this be an ego issue for you? And think about it: Do you really want to be the boss at this stage of your life, or have you been there, done that?<\/p>\n

2. Have empathy.<\/strong> Your boss may feel threatened and a little insecure about managing you. Have respect for your boss. Yes, he or she needs to respect you, but it\u2019s a two way street: There\u2019s (presumably) a reason your boss has the job.<\/p>\n

3. Get physically fit.<\/strong> Your boss may view you as a dinosaur, so prove that wrong. When you are physically fit, you bring a sense of energy and can-do spirit to the job. People want <\/em>to work with you. They want<\/em>your positive vibe.<\/p>\n

To counteract a misimpression about a lack of enthusiasm, raise your hand and ask for new assignments. Pick up some new skills. Sign up for a workplace development program. Push yourself. Once you start taking these proactive steps, you\u2019ll be staying relevant and your boss will see your effort firsthand.<\/p>\n

4. Talk about the elephant in the room.<\/strong> Try to open up the doors of communication with your boss by addressing the issue face-to-face and letting your manager know how you feel. Your tense work relationship might be as simple as a communication snafu.<\/p>\n

My experience is that younger managers tend to prefer texts to emails, phone calls or real-time verbal conversations while older workers are often just the opposite. And some Millennial managers who come across as sharp or sarcastic might just be acting and talking the way they do with their peers.<\/p>\n

5. Find the silver lining.<\/strong> It can be fun working alongside someone younger than you. There\u2019s nothing like a fresh set of eyes to make an old topic seem new. That can get you excited about your work.<\/p>\n

Not having to be the boss and responsible for managing teams of people can also be liberating. So focus on what you can learn from your younger boss.<\/p>\n

6. Keep networking.<\/strong> This is not the time to be complacent about building your network with people of all ages. After all, your boss may really be a jerk and you may need to find a new job sometime soon.<\/p>\n

Employers still hire the old-fashioned way, bringing on people they know \u2014 or those who come recommended to them. So keep adding contacts and connections on LinkedIn. Attend industry association gatherings and get involved in committees or boards. Go to alumni get-togethers. Make it a point to have coffee or lunch with someone who could help your career. Volunteer at a nonprofit or at an outing with your employer\u2019s volunteer efforts. You never know whom you might meet.<\/p>\n

As I told Dr. Phil: Never forget that networking is just one letter away from not<\/em> working.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By Kerry Hannon<\/a><\/span>Money & Work Expert<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a9 Twin Cities Public Television – 2017. All rights reserved.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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