The Multigenerational Workforce:  When Your New Boss is 25 Years Younger Than You

Source: rocket50

By: Janet Peischel rocket50 Contributor          

Date: June 23, 2023

Many senior professionals these days find themselves reporting to younger, less experienced bosses. In some cases, these senior professionals have been passed over for promotion in favor of younger leaders who bring fresh new approaches, new energy and ideas to the table. One thing that makes them more attractive than their older counterparts: They often come with a cheaper price tag. If one of these younger employees beat you out of a job, it’s likely your ego that’s taking a beating. Not only do these younger bosses have less experience than you, but now they’ll be writing your performance reviews! Give your bruised ego a chance to heal, admit that you didn’t really want this job and all of its responsibilities at this point in your life. Take age out of the equation when thinking about how you’re going to relate to the new leadership.

Everyone contributes to the success of the team

It’s not all about you. Your boss may feel uncomfortable and even intimidated by the experience of the senior members of your team. Be sensitive to these feelings and show some humility. It may be that your boss has a broader managerial skill set, while yours is more industry-specific. Each contributes to business success. And just because that boss is younger doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t a good manager.

Cultivate a relationship with your boss

The things you do to cultivate a strong rapport with your young boss are not really any different from the things you do to create a solid relationship with a boss who’s older. Treat this as any other business relationship in the multigenerational workforce. 
I used to work with a colleague, Diane, who was extremely skilled at building relationships with management, and she always came out on top. After a bitter merger with another bank, most of our 40-person marketing department was eventually eliminated. It took them a few years to get down to our level, and we knew it was coming, but it was still a gut punch. But not for Diane. She managed to find a new position that was a significant promotion. Her business philosophy has always been: “Whom should I direct my attention and efforts to now?” This methodology worked for her then, and I suspect it’s still working for her now. Most of our team found her loathsome. I have to admit, however, that we could all learn from Diane’s ability to manage upwards.  
Respect the relationship and be honest about your experience. You’ve survived economic cycles, layoffs and some truly awful clients. You’ve made mistakes and learned from some of them. Be proud of your expertise, but stress your nimbleness and ability to work across the organization. This is your chance to be recognized as a subject matter expert. 

Partner with your new boss to make your team and organization successful

Manage up to maintain an effective, productive working relationship. Understand your boss’s problems and pitch solutions. If this sounds like pitching to a new client, it’s exactly the same. You’re finding the pain points and pitching to them.
You don’t have to spend your free time with your boss. You don’t have to like or love this person. You do need to find common ground and establish effective communication. 
One of the best ways to support younger and possibly less seasoned leaders is by telling them things they may not know. This might be historicals on a longtime client relationship, for instance, or updates on supply-chain problems.

Avoid condescension 

• Share your experience in a way that emphasizes your own learning–you didn’t know it all, you learned. 
• Avoid lecturing; offer suggestions that are concrete and matter-of-fact. 
• Use examples from your own experience, “We had a situation like this in 2020, when we were still in the throes of Covid. We developed one new wine at a lower price point that got great reviews, and we couldn’t keep it in stock. We were so lucky! 

Avoid references to age disparities in the workplace

Make them irrelevant. It is possible to have a multigenerational workforce that thrives. You and your boss happen to be in different phases of life. Your maturity means that you can remember what it’s like when both parents are working, your kids are sick and your daycare is closed for the week. Being open to talking about these things with your younger boss will make the relationship authentic.

Principles to remember

It’s okay to: 

• Seek advice from colleagues and friends who’ve experienced similar events
• Work to understand your manager’s problems and suggest solutions
• Provide your boss with historical and relational information about the industry, your organization and clients

Try to avoid:

• Making assumptions. Being young doesn’t mean your new boss will be a bad manager. It may be just a matter of adapting to a different management style 
• Dwelling on your differences. Strive for commonality
• Lecturing and pontificating

The power of understanding different communication styles 

Many organizations benefit from having their employees take DiSC Leadership Assessments. This isn’t a test, and there’s no right or wrong answers. Instead, the assessment measures communication styles. It helps us understand how we communicate and how we like to be communicated to. It helps us understand motivated behaviors and emotions. It can be a valuable tool in helping groups work effectively together.

Active listening: Take the time to truly listen to your younger boss's ideas and perspectives. Show genuine interest and ask questions to better understand their points of view. This demonstrates respect and a willingness to learn.
Open-mindedness: Be open to new ideas and approaches. Avoid dismissing suggestions simply because they come from a younger colleague. Embrace the opportunity to learn and grow from the diverse perspectives within your multigenerational team.
Communication style adaptation: Adapt your communication style to align with your younger boss's preferences. This may involve embracing new technologies or adjusting your language to be more concise and informal. By meeting your boss halfway, you can foster better communication and collaboration.

Embracing growth and learning in the multigenerational workplace

The ability to change and grow is critical for the evolving, multigenerational workforce to be successful. As a 50 or 60-year-old professional, instead of being resistant to change or feeling threatened by younger colleagues, think of this as an opportunity to expand your own knowledge and skills.

Older professionals get a bad rap for being technology-averse.

Staying up-to-date is your responsibility. Attend workshops and conferences. There are myriad inexpensive or free online courses to help you stay on top of the latest industry trends and applications. LinkedIn offers a comprehensive array of online business and technology courses. These are easy to understand, with very good instructors. This is a two-way street. Share your own years of industry knowledge by mentoring younger colleagues. Everybody wins.

Key takeaways

As seniors continue to delay retirement and work longer,, ours is becoming a multigenerational workforce. It’s not unusual to find that your new boss is the same age as your adult kids. How do you relate to someone so young? The same way you related to your last boss who just retired. Pay attention, learn how to communicate with your new boss, how you can help each other. Share information when asked, but avoid lectures. Your boss may be young, but may have a broader managerial skillset, while yours is more industry-specific. Each of you contributes to business success.

Janet Peischel is a rocket50 writer and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. She writes about lifestyle issues, products and trends of the  50+ population. “We represent a huge market that’s vocal, active, and determined to stay active and involved!”

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