Being a good manager implies knowing how to get the best from each member of one’s team.
But how does one do this one when one is managing someone who is the same age as one’s parents? Is it necessary to behave differently with older staff than with others?
Experienced career managers in working in Switzerland and Swiss-based management consultants say that they don’t treat older staff preferentially but on the other hand they do take into account their (usually) long experience and excuse more easily the forgetfulness that comes with being close to retirement age.
In Switzerland it is more and more common to find young executives managing older employees. Companies in Switzerland now promote talented people quickly and a man can expect to achieve the summit of his career already between 30 and 45 years of age, according to Human Asset, a Geneva-based consultancy.
Some argue that the subtleties of managing a group of people, some of whom are considerably older than oneself, reduce to taking into account the specificities of each member of one’s team. Seniors need to feel respected, and young managers are often in a rush to get results: they want everything and right away. In such circumstances, in order to move forward, one has to make a certain amount of compromises.
Perceived humility in a manager is an enormous asset. A manager who conveys that he is willing to learn from his staff has already won half the battle.
Staff in the age range of 50-60 have different motivations. An executive manager working in Switzerland needs to redefine with senior staff objectives and expectations, as well as their mission within the enterprise. The talented manager does this with skill and finesse.
Managing older staff need not be more complex than managing other staff – as long as there is reciprocal respect, the factor of age is just one factor among others.
