Q. I’m a new
manager in a department where more than half the employees are close
to 60 and really experienced at what they do. But many are simply
counting their days to retirement and don’t want to do more
than just what’s required. How can I fire them up without
causing resentment? I need their support.
—Martha B.
A. With so many
“baby-boomers” now near 60, your situation isn’t
unusual. And it does take some delicate handling, especially from
younger managers. Start by asking yourself, “What
is the main thing older employees have to offer a company?”
It’s
their experience. Their future with the company is limited, which can
be scary. Many senior employees haven’t kept up with new
technologies, such as the computer, or the Internet, and they often
see the “whiz kids” with MBAs soaring ahead in just three
or four years in jobs that took them 20 to 30 years to master. It’s
no wonder some get discouraged. Even worse, while they pride
themselves for staying with the same company for 20+ years, today’s
corporate culture seems to favor fast-moving, career-focused
employees who bring fresh ideas with their frequent job changes. The
result of this culture shift is that many older workers dig in with
their ideas, become defensive, and show resistance to change.
Honor
Their Experience
Actually,
their long-term dependability and experience is the key to motivating
them. Most want to be recognized and respected for what they know and
what they’ve contributed. So use that motivator to fire them
up. Some ideas:
Use their skills,
methods, and experiences as reference points. Build upon them. At
department meetings say things like, “John’s
been here more than 20 years, and has found some creative ways to
solve these problems. What do you think
about this, John?”
Ask them to help plan,
design, evaluate your work plan, and create ways to sell it to
current and future employees. For example, you might take several
senior workers aside (one-on-one) before a meeting and say, “We’re
going to discuss the _____ problem, Harriet, and I’d like to
rely on your experience and insight to point us in the right
direction. Will that be OK with you? People respect your time on the
job and I really depend on you to help us with what you know best.
Here’s my plan. Would you look at it to spot potential trouble
spots, and help me present it to the department?”
Tap their experience by
asking them to teach their peers, lead small-group work, and moderate
discussion and question/answer sessions. Say things like:
• “Pete,
no one knows this job better than you do. Would you put together what
you think is a good training program for our new people and help
me get them up to speed?”
•“Elizabeth,
I could use your help in leading this small group as they try to
solve the soldering problem with the new circuits. You’ve got
more experience than most, and you can help them to stay focused
on the problem.”
• “I
know a lot of you have questions about this process, and Bob has
specialized
in this for nearly
10 years. Bob, would you answer any questions they have about our
quality procedure? Maybe you could set aside an hour a week for a
question and answer session with everyone.”
Use concrete, real-life
examples; try to show immediate results. Most senior
employees aren’t
surprised by much that happens; they’ve seen it before. So
keep your examples
specific; talk about things that actually can and do happen. And when
you give them a task or a project, try to give them something with a
clear end-point—where results come reasonably soon and are
clearly visible. Younger employees are just learning about the world
of work and like to “blue sky” their ideas, philosophize,
and discuss, “What
if…?” That
outlook is valuable, but so is the insight, “We
shouldn’t waste too much time with that approach; it looks
great on paper, but usually winds up being too costly.”
Motivate them with activities that involve them personally, like
case studies. Involve them in actual problems that need solving.
Allow them more time for
skills practice. With new processes, like a new computer system, give
them more time to learn it. They have to unlearn some long-held
habits before they can learn the new skill.
Give them assignments
that keep them mentally active. While their bodies aren’t what
they used to be, their minds are typically as sharp as ever—provided
you challenge them. Give them problems to solve frequently, and
recognize their worth when they solve them (even when you already
suspect the answer.)
