A view from the other side

Not everyone is happy with having a manger that is younger than them.  Here are a couple examples of people asking for feedback on what to do, because they have a young manger. 

Interesting couple of responses include that no one should focus on age, but capability.   Age is just as discriminatory as race, gender, etc.  Some of the suggestions for the older worker are good to keep in mind for a younger manager.

Link 1)
http://www.askamanager.org/2011/04/my-manager-is-younger-than-me.html

Link 2)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-44940178/how-to-work-for-a-younger-manager/

Defeating Age Barrier with Trust

Management tips and experiences from other young managers compiled in this article.  Main theme is developing trust with employees and trying to add value, so that workers don't see you for only your age.

Link
Young Managers can cross age barrier with trust

Another 5 Tips to be a Successful Young Manager

Link to article written by Aaron McDaniel who claims to have been a Regional Vice President at the age of 27 and author of guides for young professionals. 
-  It is interesting that some articles mention getting the elephant in the room out (that you are young and less experienced), while other articles (like this one) say not to disclose and try to appear older/more experienced.  What are your thoughts on the subject?

Link:
5 Thinkgs to Do That Will Make you A Successful Young Manager

5 Management Tips for New Young Managers

Here is an article with 5 tips that can help any manager.  Some of the tips include:
1)  Get to know your employees
2)  Identify strengths in each worker
3)  Value your people and show recognition
4)  Trust employees - They should be able to function without your presence.
5)  Have adaptability in your behavioral management - No two people are the same.

Link to article:
5 Management Tips for New Managers

Video on managing older employees from a young CEO.

Found this video on YouTube showcasing a young manager and 3 tips that have helped him be successful.

The three topics discussed:
1.  Drop Titles - Everyone has a role in the organization, and everyone is important to the success of the company.
2.  Empower - Seek out advice.
3.  Make decisions when needed with confidence.

Article - A Guide for Younger Bosses

Here is another article from the Harvard Business Review Blog Network.

A few points made in the article:

•  You need to give vision, objectives
•  Give wide freedom to employees to define operating details - best way to get optimal performance.
• Make it a point that you work hard & long  (not sure I agree with some of the author's suggestions in this topic: like sending meeting invites for weekends and after hours.  While I think it is good to show you are a hard worker and care, these suggestions can put undue stress on employees.  Overtime employees may come to resent and feel like it is mandatory to work insane hours - I already feel like employees need better work/life balance at my company).  What would you suggest on this topic?
•  Keep Cool under pressure
• Seek opinions and feedback, even on cross-functional department items.

Link:  Managing Older Managers: A guide for Younger Bosses

In Good Company

If you think you are the only younger manager in the world, guess again.  There is even a movie (a favorite of mine) that specifically takes on some of the challenges from both sides of the fence (the younger and the older).  Here are a couple clips from the movie, "In Good Company".

What do you think "Carter" did right/wrong in each of these scenes?

Dressing the part

Being one to be cursed with a baby face, this article touches on a few things that can help you appear older and more mature by the way you dress:

For Men:
Link:  http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/mature-man-style/

And for the Ladies:
A video on how to dress older and more professional:
Link:  Youtube: How to Dress Yourself to look Older - Women


A common theme that is repeated in many articles is to also make sure you exude CONFIDENCE!  The more confidence you have, the more likely people will see you as credible and give you the respect you deserve.

10 Steps

Here is an article that has 10 items to remember when managing employees older than you.  Many of these may sound like common sense, but everybody needs a reminder now and then. There are several tips that are supposed to help develop respect. 

Link
10 Steps to managaging employees older than you

First Topic - Article on a few tips for Leading Older Employees

Here is an article that seems relevant for the first post in this series.  It is on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network and has good information on getting credibility by what you say and do.  The article has some good examples on 3 items to keep in mind when managing older employees.  This article also gives specific examples on what to say and how to word it.

Link
Harvard Business Review Blog - Leading Older Employees