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When you first crossed the line from employee to manager, your promotion placed you in charge of a small group of entry-level worker bees. The younger members of your team were 22 and the oldest clocked in at about 27. Management presented a few challenges, but you overcame them, worked hard, did your best, and when the time came, you moved on.

In your new role, you’ll be managing a bigger team, and you’ll face a set of more serious responsibilities. Your new team will also be a little more diverse…Your youngest direct report is 22, but the others now represent every age group all the way up to 65. Many of them are older than you, and somehow you’ll have to coach all of them to respect you, respect each other, work together, and communicate effectively. Here are some tips that can help.

Let Go of the Past

Your original homogeneous team is gone now. So let them go. Don’t cling to the tactics that worked for this group if these tactics aren’t translating very well to your multi-generational team. (A classic example: younger workers often feel rewarded when you provide structured opportunities to socialize. A Saturday of minigolf or a mandatory Friday happy hour may be fun and exciting for 22-year-olds…but watch out. Older workers may see this as an irritating intrusion into their personal time. If forced socialization isn’t appreciated, back off and try something else.)

Listen Carefully

People at different ages need different forms of accommodation in order to excel at their jobs. Younger workers may be able to stay late at the office, but they may also need public transportation discounts if they don’t have cars. Mid-career workers may not need transportation help, but they might need help navigating childcare responsibilities. Older workers may not need transportation or childcare assistance, but they might need accommodations for health reasons. Keep your ears open and listen when your employees need something…Don’t apply blanket solutions to every member of the team.

Mix, Match, and Pair

Don’t let your teams close off into small subgroups by age. Pair younger workers with older ones on team projects. Encourage older workers to share their experience and younger workers to share their energy. Allow each age group to build off the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses of the others.

Give Respect in Order to Gain Respect

No matter how old or young your employees may be, you’re still the boss. So you still need to earn their respect. Do this by showing respect first. Listen to their input, reward their growth, and learn from their knowledge and expertise. Workers at the youngest and oldest end of the spectrum may apply the greatest pressure on this point, but if you’re firm, fair, flexible, and willing to listen, you’ll keep these relationships on level ground. For more on how to get the most out of your multi-generational teams, contact the staffing professionals at Expert.

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