Workforce Trends
management team together to
discuss the situation.
While all admitted they knew
there was some stress, it hadn’t
dawned on them that age and
maturity could be playing a role.
Once that came out, they set about
finding ways to take this into
consideration when conflicts arose.
Those around any manager,
may not put themselves in that
person’s shoes and consider the
balancing act they are performing
as they nurture, encourage, direct,
correct and even discipline the
diversity of personalities and
experiences under their charge.
Making it a consistent point of
reflection will encourage more
of a focus on the differences in
behaviour and attitude. This doesn’t
mean griping, by the way. Don’t
expect anyone to hold you a ‘pity
party.’ But you will engender a
bit of empathy, at least from some
when they consider your plight.
Fall on your sword. When Maria
assumed her role as ‘lead scientist,’
she hadn’t considered that the
majority of her team was twenty
years her senior. While they didn’t
pat her on the head per se, it
became obvious these seasoned
professionals had expected a new
supervisor they considered ‘worthy.’
So here she was, new company,
Those around any manager, may not
put themselves in that person’s shoes
and consider the balancing act they are
performing as they nurture, encourage,
direct, correct and even discipline the
diversity of personalities and experiences
under their charge.
new job, and new colleagues who
second-guessed her every decision
when they weren’t just deadly
silent. After talking this through
with her supervisor, she figured she
had nothing to lose. So she called
them all into a meeting one Friday
afternoon.
Maria said, “Look, many of
you have much more experience
than I. In fact, a couple of you
were candidates for my job. I
can certainly learn from you and
would appreciate your patience
as I come up to speed. At the
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