As the baby boomers phase out of the marketplace, the work force is becoming younger and younger. What does this mean to you? Well, for starters, it means that you could find yourself working for a younger---no, make that MUCH younger boss!
As you may already know, that presents a somewhat different dynamic for most people. A ‘boss’ is typically perceived as an authority figure, but if you (the worker) are 39 years old and he (the boss) is just 28, it can be tough for you to accept that he is mostly always right. It can also be tough for you to respect him as you would an older manager.
Many times, the problems come when the younger boss simply doesn’t appear to be interested in benefitting from the older worker’s experiences. That may not necessarily be a bad thing. S/he may have a different (i.e. better) way of doing things. Secondly, if you try to TELL him how to do the job, resentment can be the result because he will undoubtedly regard you as a parent figure. (Not good!)
Where possible: join your manager on common ground. If he texts, learn to text. If he instant messages, do the instant message thing. If he does social networking, join Facebook or Linked In yourself to demonstrate that you are keeping up with the times and doing so aggressively.
You are likely to have to attend virtual meetings such as webinars and teleconferences as opposed to meeting face-to-face. There’s something to be said for this methodology. For starters, it eliminates a lot of wasted time, effort and energy, to say nothing of expense. So, give your boss a break, and go with the flow.
Make sure to tell you boss what progress you’ve made and try to do your very best on a project. Hint: Most of the Gen X’er’s aren’t really going to care what you (or the company did in 1970—before they were even born! So don’t bother them with this trivia: keep your mouth shut and concentrate on the here and now..! And, while we’re on the topic: for goodness sake, don’t tell her she reminds you of your daughter or granddaughter!
Keep your skills up to date. Don’t grumble or complain when a new software product or system is introduced. Just try to master it as cheerfully and as quickly as you can. Even if you DO know it all, you may have to pretend you don’t for the sake of retaining harmony in the workforce. Listen, and then ask good questions.
Lastly, don’t ever let your boss catch word of you denigrating him for his young age: that is most assuredly the kiss of death!
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