Depending on areas of their expertise, I have involved them in different phases of the project in terms of seeking advice on risks, dependencies areas & solutioning. This would reduce certain level of conflict on daily operation & they would see you not just project manager but also as individual, who rely on their advice.
As you develop rapport with them over period of time, you start questioning their solution in healthy way so that they shouldn't take you for granted that you always take their solution without careful thought.
Some of them wouldn't like to report to Junior & instead of expecting status from them, get in touch with them on informal basis to collectively get status from such folks & summarize your discussion points as reference for them..Over period of time, make transition from informal to formal meeting & they would have expected you as PM by now Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Is not about older or younger. Is about culture, mainly organizational culture. As any other thing you do into a project the key is to understand your stakeholders. You have to perform stakeholder analysis at the very begining. So, you will find strategies to manage your stakehodlers. I am 55 years old and I am leading hugh teams composed for young people that leave around the world (more than 65 countries) and belongs to quit different cultures. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Age is not, or should not, be a factor. Clear, concise communication. Its business, engaging others on a path to an end state. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Age does matter, and younger PMs must take care to treat older team members with respect. We may have authority over them, but we’d be very unwise to treat them like they were recent graduates on their first real job. We must remember it’s not always easy for someone to have a younger person put in authority over them - I imagine how I’d feel if I suddenly had a teenager become my boss at work.
Conflict can easily arise when the older team member feels the younger PM doesn’t value their many years of experience and wisdom. If this occurs, the older team member can become resentful; the older team member may begin criticizing the PMs performance and decisions, and their negative attitude can spread throughout the team and undermine the PM’s effectiveness. To avoid this I generally treat older team members with the same respect I gave my grandparents. I’ll go out of my way to do things that make them feel valued, such as asking their perspective when making decisions, even if I don’t do what they say. This usually makes them feel happy and turns them from an enemy into a valuable ally. Saving Changes...
