I will like us to share our experiences as a young senior management staff.

Have you been talked down based on age difference, even though you are making sense, how did you manage the situation, did you keep quite or still try to make your point which attimes may result to an arguement with a very older colleague.

No hard and fast way to deal with people...You can't cook indomie the same way or with the same ingredients with which you cook Ewedu and gbegiri


The end definitely determines the means.... You can't expect Buhari to deal Shekau and his Fulani brethren the same hand he deals Kanu, his IPOB yoots and undergraduate protesters


In George Orwell words... "All animals are equal. ... but some are more equal than others"


if you think I am saying nonesense, please feel free to #askBuhari

My first Job just after NYSC as the PA to the Director of College of about 2000 students and 74 staff was an experience.

Whenever my boss travels (which happens most of the time), I take charge of everything including staff renumeration and recruitment (teachers can resign like no man's business).

I was a teacher for two months before I got promoted to the PA. At first my colleagues seem to make slight fun of me...it was funny but not funny. Seriously.
How I coped:
1. I changed my wardrobe, slowly but consistently. I guess it changed how they perceived me.
2. I talk less, but I keep my words.
3. I 'punish' staff when its due. You might get enemies at the beginning but they will hold you at high esteem for not compromising.
4. Say what you mean and mean what you say, but ensure you do not disrespect your colleagues, especially in your manners of approach.
5. When an older staff isn't comfortable with your decision, you have to be careful because some junior staff strong pass management. Built an 'Ally force' amongst certain staff who will always stand with you.
6. Commend your 'rivals' when they do something good or perceived as good. Give them roles to perform, like head projects etc. Some are out to make you look incompetent, when you give them roles or try their ideas it will gradually be obvious why you would always be their 'senior' in the job.
7. Don't flare up! Handle issues calmly. Peeps are going to get on your nerves, don't go 'is it because you are older than me?' Bla bla bla....don't toll that path. Silently show them pepper, without saying it.
8. Remember the Golden rule...someday you might have a younger person who is in control.
9. Don't be a cry baby, reporting every issue to your boss. You can report some before they report first shaaa. Because na who first go police dey win case. The ones you can handle, you handle.
10. Respect their experience (they were already working there while you were still scrambling for expo @ IMSU), modify it though as much as you can. cux you might just pass off as 'clueless'.
11. greet them when you see them, ask about their family if the environment permits.

...still thinking

Very interesting

How in Nigeria did this make FP? Anyway anything can happen in Nigeria

This will be interesting.

Just four comments,and it hits the front page....... Odi egwu

My first job was a manager at a 3 star hotel. Without an experience I did so well that it made the staffs I met there uncomfortable! This made them gang up against me expecially cos of my age then... that was then sha.


Now all I do is to make money,look good and have fuN! Ask me how

Let me start.

First of all, if you are a guy, the young ladies in that company will love you. Ladies are naturally attracted to young successful males; they will always be around you. If you are a bad guy ehn, you will "do", "undo" and "redo" the ladies. You will be very popular in the company with the girls.

Even if you are a young lady, some of the guys your age will begin to hit on you. The older guys will not like you and talk behind you, asking you to go get married etc, but the guys your age may hit on you.

So to the professional side, I was always nice but showed I was in charge. In my company, the manager decides the rating, compensation and promotion in her team; so by default, you had to respect your manager. I had some subordinates that were like 7 years older than me but not much older and I made them realise early that I was in charge. I did not share anything about my personal life with them, I was very cautious and guarded initially so as not bring disrespect and after sometime I become more friendly. I was more educated and exposed than most of the guys so I could always use that to my advantage and switch to my "American accent".

Alot of people my level were older and would call me things like "young madam" etc but I also always made sure to remind them I am here on merit and I could do the job. Bottomline is performance. If you are able to perform to the required level, people will forget about your age and give you the needed respect. In fact you will soon become a superstar if you manage it properly.

I am a marketing manager of a new company producing and packaging Ewedu powder.

I will share my experience in due course.

Cook ewedu with ease with the newly introduced 'powdered ewedu' into the market. You dont have to go through any stress because you want to eat ewedu. Simple buy our powdered ewedu, mix with required volume of water and boil for 2 minutes. You may not necessarily add any other thing except salt.

Well, got lil experience on that for now.

This has many factors surrounding it. For example, the type of firm, the age grade of employees.

In my own company for example, we majorly young chaps, almost within the same age bracket. No sense of "I old pass you and all that".

As a senior management staff, junior staffs know their place and are scolded when necessary but with respect.

mostyg:
I am a marketing manager of a new company producing and packaging Ewedu powder.

I will share my experience in due course.

Cook ewedu with ease with the newly introduced 'powdered ewedu' into the market. You dont have to go through any stress because you want to eat ewedu. Simple buy our powdered ewedu, mix with required volume of water and boil for 2 minutes. You may not necessarily add any other thing except salt.

Nice innovation, I have knew this ewedu (eku) powder like 20 years ago but now somebody think out of the box and commercialized it. Kudos.

I dey come

Horlawoomey:


Nice innovation, I have knew this ewedu (eku) powder like 20 years ago but now somebody think out of the box and commercialized it. Kudos.

Thank you for your comment. It is really encouraging.
All we did is to introduce a little professionalism into the drying to retain the green coloration without any additives.
It is 100% ewedu

No experience

Need to learn from people.


Going up the ladder.

In my own case I was made the quality control manager of a production company immediately after youth service. Most male staffs were not happy with me because they felt disrespected when a younger staff gives them instruction...They make statement like " What do you know about this job you don't even have one year experience" .. ..That was true I never had any experience but right from the first day I stepped my feet into the company I learnt speedily.
I monitored and observed the production process and identify any error, and give possible solution. My colleagues were astonished by the knowledge I have gained within a short period of time.. You would always receive insults for trying to correct staffs.
I always had a saying then "think about what is good for the company". I ensured they did what is good for the company.
I penalized them for lateness and excessive wastage.
Finally managers need to be a good motivator and a source of inspiration to workers with which you can compel them to work and bring good results.

Reading Intently

I was literarily pursued and killed! Office politics is evil.
I jumped at first opportunity to port, I still hv a list of pple to kill/maim, just dat I'm too far away n prosperous to do dat.

Illiterates,
Dealing with them as a young management staff was eye opening.

Wow! I will get there.

But Yeah! I have an experience too.

I was the Zone Coordinator of NCCF in one of the Niger Delta State. I was selected even without experience of being the head of any fellowship. Six other Corps Members/set were reporting to me as the leader and I was the youngest amongst all - under 25 whereas some of the excos were almost 30 or a little above

Ways God helped me are simple:

let them know who is in charge (not bossing all around o)

don't always seek for their opinion when the situation requires you to call the shots (I discuss with the Assistant/Secretary on this but not ALL excos),

Always ask for input in meetings and consider all suggestions in equal weight for unanimous agreement

Be transparent

Be accountable

Communicate always

Delegate and have confidence in their abilities

Pray always for them

Never sideline anyone or create a lopehole on your part that anyone can point accusing fingers at

Always adhere to the instructions of the Holy Spirit

This just came at the right time!
I need them to respect me somewhat

Saved*

oseiwe:
I was literarily pursued and killed! Office politics is evil.
I jumped at first opportunity to port, I still hv a list of pple to kill/maim, just dat I'm too far away n prosperous to do dat.

Ahahaha

I started as a Dr in a new specialty full of oldies sometime ago. The moment I started, the nurses referred to me like I was a "student" but I kept my cool for the first few days while acclimatizing with the job, the environment and studying the characters of people I was working with. I did that cos I knew true respect is something you earn not demand for. The moment you have to start demanding for respect from people like its your birth right, u will never get a genuine form of it. Still, just a few days after resumption, I did have to put a few lower cadre staff with grandiose delusions at their place just to announce that I might be cool headed but never a push over. They were shocked but they got the message. I knew I had to master the job very fast to prove myself so I did exactly that and in just 2wks on the job,it seemed to everyone like i had been there for months. A senior colleague was skeptical about what I'd learnt within just 2 wks and grumbled to others that he wasn't comfortable with the responsibilities I was handling then but I continued unfazed with my job and made sure i sought for his opinion everytime i had "challenging" cases just to make him feel like his still remains the boss. His skepticism dissipated like smoke in about a week. Now,many times,he calls for me for my opinion whenever he has challenging cases too.

In 2010.... Two new staff (a guy and a lady) were added to my team...both fresh from school.
Didn't have any issues with the lady as she was ready to learn..
The guy kept questioning my decisions and slandering my image behind my back...
What I did was simple; make him report to the lady....then the lady reports to me...
Found out later he's older than me with a couple of years... And I'm older than the lady by a few years too...
So he ended up reporting to someone over 5 years younger...and a fellow trainee at that.
He learnt the true meaning of humility... The lady show am pepper!!!

i dey come

I like this!!!

Have had a lot of issues

But being no-nonsense and assertive has helped a lot!!!!

735i:

So he ended up reporting to someone over 5 years younger...and a fellow trainee at that.
He learnt the true meaning of humility... The lady show am pepper!!!

You are a Baaaaaaad guy!

oriflamebaby1:
My first job was a manager at a 3 star hotel. Without an experience I did so well that it made the staffs I met there uncomfortable! This made them gang up against me expecially cos of my age then... that was then sha.


Now all I do is to make money,look good and have fuN! Ask me how

HOW?

I grew into my role, being a software developer in the financial services sector means I have some autonomy. I report directly to the MD/CEO/CTO too. I formed a good rapport with my colleagues and bless them they are excellent people too. They think I perform magic, but I don't. Without being conceited, I try to do a good job at always performing. There're no hard and fast rules but;

1. Know and respect your limits.
2. Be amiable, ask about the wellbeing of your colleagues.
3. Be a man of your words, don't talk too much.
4. Be at the top of your game, always.
5. Notice I never used the words junior or subordinate, always, remember, they're your colleagues.