Working with Older Team Members as a First Time Manager.

I once took an online course that required students to participate in a group discussion on a very interesting topic. While the discussion went on, one of the students shared a challenge he faced at the start of his career as a manager and throughout the time I took the course, I thought of his challenge and how similar it was to what I had experienced in the past and still experience on a daily basis at work

So, if you are reading this article and you are first time manager, that’s fantastic because I am going to be sharing some tips on how you can work with older members on your team as a manager. ?Who exactly am I referring to when I mention “older member”? Older members in this context refer to team members who have been in the organization longer than you have irrespective of their age.

Just before we get into the juice, I would like to say something that you may not immediately agree with or perhaps, would not want to accept as a manager but would eventually. No matter what your ego says to you, always remember that older members in an organization know more than you do and can offer solutions to problems that you cannot come up with in the number of days you have been there. They can be your greatest assets if you learn to communicate with them properly.

You have been hired as a manager in an organization and you are being introduced to your team. It turns out everyone on your team has been working in the organization three years or more which means they probably have some in-depth knowledge about the organization that you are yet to learn. What do you do? Are you just going to pretend that you are the boss and everyone else in the room has to obey you and that’s it? Well let’s take a dive and collect some precious pearls as a guiding light.

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1.?????Discuss

Discussions allow for exchange of ideas and opinions because no one person walks into the meeting with all the answers. This is something managers must learn to do. Having members of your team share what they think on a matter is very helpful to their growth because each time a member is given that space to say what’s on their mind, they feel safe to constantly share. And for the manager, this could be the best time to know more about the individuals you are working with. Discussions are one sure way to promote openness and diversity.

2.?????Interact

The second point is like the first. When it comes to working with older members, communication is an important skill that you will need to learn and become an expert at. This is because right words said the wrong way, at the wrong time may cause a lot of harm than you could ever imagine. What really is the point here? Interactions usually mean that both parties are involved in the situation. That means that as a manager, you must learn to come up with ways that allow you to be involved in the work processes and sometimes the personal lives of your team members. Once there is communication at that level, it is easier to determine the best way to bring the best out of them even if you don’t get it right always.

3.?????Suggest

This point reminds me of a situation in my office some time ago when the CEO called an emergency meeting and asked everyone to attend regardless of what they were doing. I must say that was a very unpleasant moment and I am sure anytime he thinks of that day he probably might not call for such a meeting again. What really happened? In the early hours of work, he called for a meeting to let the team know that it was doing a bad job on social media and was performing poorly. He immediately instructed that changes he had mentioned during the meeting be made by persons concerned but that went south because he jumped the gun. The team was preparing to meet a client and had been excited all morning until the meeting. What do you think happened to their morning? Crushed! What could have been done differently? Interact to find the reason for what you have just noticed, discuss the way forward and suggest a solution. Don't rush it. It can be disastrous.

4.?????Acknowledge

Recognizing the efforts of your team members is key in winning their trust. The thing is, older members know how much they put into getting the job done. They can tell when the manager is only waiting to take the praise for what he didn’t do and will quickly withdraw if they are not acknowledged for what they bring to the table. Learning to acknowledging efforts of older members means that as a manager you must be informed. Know what happens from the start of a project to its end and take notes of contributions of each team member.

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At the end of the day, what you are seeking to do is to understand the individual strengths of each member of your team and then learning to leverage on those strengths collectively to produce results.

I hope this helps. Cheers!

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