So, what do you do if you find yourself working in a company with younger colleagues? How can you adapt and get along with them considering your ages and ideas?
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see business and company executives who are in their 20s or 30s, as well as companies with a younger workforce.
Since they are familiar with the demands of the current market, they are able to shift easily to that demand and work efficiently to reach the market faster than using traditional methods.
Here are some steps to help you get started!
Give advice based on your experience
If you have been working in the business for a long time, you have loads of experience to draw on and share with your younger colleagues. Share what you know with them and help them relax, especially if it is their first time working on the job. Be patient and calm when you speak with them so they do not get scared when talking to you.
Join Social Media
For your younger colleagues, it is easier to relate to their older colleagues if they have social media profiles. However, most of the older generation do not have social media and if they do have one, they do not update regularly.
Take some time to learn social media and update your accounts. You should also let your colleagues know you have these accounts they can follow.
If you don’t know what to post on your social media, retweet or share business-oriented posts. (Never to share any confidential or sensitive stuff about your work or your company!)
Use the internet rather than use your phone to communicate
Younger workers tend to shy away from getting phone calls since they mostly connect with their peers using social media or online messaging. If you want to speak to them about work or just speak to them about casual stuff, use the messaging apps they use.
However, once you are promoted from being just ‘that stern-looking colleague sitting in that corner’ to ‘that cool marketing dude’, do try to have a casual chat face-to-face. Nothing beats having a conversation in person!
Stay true and confident
You don’t need to ingratiate yourself to your younger colleagues, but just be true to how you feel and act like it. Your younger coworkers would find it appealing if you are confident, cool and calm.
Ask for mentoring
If you are not familiar with something, like doing something online, don’t be shy about asking help from your younger colleagues. This would allow your younger colleagues to see that you trust them and give them confidence. In turn, they would turn to you for advice if they need to learn about something you are familiar with.
Take time shifts
For younger workers, they adapt to a “live today” mentality which helps them focus on what is happening today rather than relieve the past. However, for older workers like us, such mindset is hard since we lived in challenging times so we tend to recall the past often.
If you really want to understand your younger colleagues well, try reclaiming your lives back and stop dwelling in your past or work as if you are still in the 80s. It will make you much easier to work with and even serve as an inspiration!
Conclusion
Age is nothing but a number and such notion is clear in business. If you are one of the older members of the company, show your younger colleagues that they can rely on you for advice and that you respect their ideas as well. If you are open to such change in how you reach out to your colleagues, you will definitely get along with them easily.
Easier said than be able to change at a snap of the finger. Do you think the above advice help? Do you have trouble working with younger generations? I do work well with both – the older and the younger generations but just because I’m stuck in the middle. Share with us your experience in the comments below.
If you enjoy articles that help you improve the relationship with your co-workers, you will definitely find these helpful:
Intuitive to Others’ Feelings
White, Yellow, Black, Brown even Blue
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This is a nice post with such advice..
PS – Hi Kally, it’s been really long since i came to WP. Glad to have stumbled upon your post 🙂
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Tutto vero e più che utile come consiglio…
Ma quanto mi manca la semplice diretta e più umana telefonata al capo, per dirgli che ti prendi due giorni di ferie . .o quella dello stesso capo che a voce ti chiede se puoi fare un turno al posto di un altro collega.
Non funziona più così..
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I am an English speaker only !
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Thank you so much! Yes! It’s been awhile since I last seen your comment. I trust you have been doing well?
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Yeah, keeping fine.. was busy with work and life.. thanks for asking. I hope you are having a good time too 🙂
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Same here, busy with life, work, chores and a screaming baby. Big hugs.
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As an older person, I have been in this kind of position in an office. Your post was spot on and very helpful.
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Thanks much! I struggled to work with the younger workers initially but over time, I get to understand them more and learn so much from them,
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I agree! It’s great to work with the younger and the older!
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I work with younger people all the time and get along with most because they know I am not asking them to do anything I haven’t or are not doing myself. Respect is a two way street and when they know I ask for their input or help with something they respect that. I have one particular person I have a problem with but it is not only me, but I get blamed for being too intimidating, so now I have to go out of my way to be ingratiating.
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Good sharing!!! Thank you for opening up your experiences to us. Despite age, we all have a lot to learn from each other. And yes, respect should always be mutual.
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Brilliant post as always. I have often worked with younger people and encouraged them to move up with their work and to show the senior management their true qualities. I get on well with younger people. They have so much untouched potential within them to bring forth into the modern world.
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I love that you are such a good mentor to them. I love to guide the young ones as well. I see them as successors rather than a threat.
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Yes, this is the way to look at them. The young require opportunities and not to be held back.
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Very well done Kally.
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Thank you, Shantanu.
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My pleasure
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THANK YOU my friend for sharing this so necessary advice.
” Be patient and calm when you speak with them so they do not get scared when talking to you.”
As an “old hand”; IF we want to GRASP hands; it is WE who must adapt. …. WISE is the manager who opens “his” mouth than “his” ears. They will learn from US, so long as we “don’t profess to know it all.” less
Excellent advice, Thanks and God Bless,
Patrick
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Thank you my friend for contributing to my advice as well. Your wisdom is profound and timely. Godspeed.
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Great down to earth advice 👏👍
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Thank you so much for your encouragement, Srikanth.
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Great advice and a great read! x
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Thank you very much, James and welcome to MiddleMe.
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Such a great post! Love your blog!
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Thank you, Sophia and welcome to MiddleMe.
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