Conquering the Fear Factor: Older Managers and Young Turks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) August 3, 2009 --

The workplace is becoming increasingly competitive, and established management is more and more often facing a corporate tendency towards promoting the best and the brightest - of the youngest. Just when these managers feel that they've finally paid their dues and proven their company loyalty, when their skills are sharp and focused from years of experience, many of them fear being replaced by a bright, technologically-savvy and impatient member of the generation climbing the corporate ladder behind them. They know that the powers that be consider these "Young Turks" to be smarter than they are – and the knowledge makes them tremble.

It's a valid fear. There's absolutely no doubt that some corporations are willing to ditch their over-50 management (whom they feel sure will lose their edge sooner or later anyway) in order to put brilliant, revolutionary "Young Turks" in their positions. In their fanatical desire to get an edge on the competition and insight into new market potential, what these corporations often forget is that the new generation is not well known for a strong work ethic, people skills or company loyalty. These companies will get what they deserve then, won't they? But the end result for the over-50 manager remains the same – an early retirement laced with feelings of loss and resentment - or worse, frantically searching for another position in a similar corporation with a similar mindset. Sad to say, this situation isn't uncommon.

Fortunately, there are other alternatives. Many 50+ leaders have left the corporate rat race to start successful and lucrative consulting businesses of their own. These new "midlife" entrepreneurs have built the kind of businesses where their hard-earned experience, solid work ethic and finely-honed people skills bring a direct benefit – to both their clients and themselves.

Or there are those who've decided to turn the tables and transform this challenge into an opportunity. They've turned it all upside down. Instead of fearing the "Young Turks", they welcome them. They aren't worried about their young team members being smarter than they are – they WANT them to be smarter. That's right – they actually want it that way. These sharp managers know that it's in their own best interests to take the new generation of up-and-comers and deliberately bring out the best in them.

When you take this position, you're truly being a leader; you know that you want your team to achieve as a group. Each member of your team will have different talents and different weaknesses. If you're smart, you will use your experience, people skills and one of the excellent assessment tools available for this purpose to identify their individual strengths - and use that knowledge to build a stellar team where each member contributes a special talent to the whole.