Wednesday, June 29, 2011

3 Tips for Leading People Older Than You

Seniority no longer reigns in today's organizations. In fact, it's not uncommon to manage people 10 or 20 years older than you. Leading is hard enough when you have experience on your side. Here are three ways to make sure your age doesn't betray you:

1. Be confident. Start strong. Don't qualify your statements or ideas. Speak with conviction and assume that your ideas are good ones.

2. Be open-minded. Balance your poise with an open mind. Put your proposals out there and then solicit opinions and ideas. Give your colleagues a voice.

3. Ask for feedback regularly. Make sure people know you care about continuous improvement. They'll be more likely to give you useful feedback about your performance.

Source: Harvard Business Review Blog - Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Leading Older Employees" by Jodi Glickman

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