Leading a Young Team

Leading a young team is different to leading an older team or even a mixed age team. Not only are younger generations looking for different qualities in their leaders, they also require a different set of skills from leaders. Here’s why . . .

Think back for a moment to when you first started working. You probably found the workplace a foreign environment, not unlike a country where you don’t speak the language or understand the local customs. It can feel quite frustrating to figure out what is going on, particularly if you didn’t read the guide book before you left home. Well, that’s exactly what it feels like for young people starting work today. There are going from a school or university environment with one set of rules, to a workplace that often has a completely different set.

As a leader of younger people it is up to you to help them make that transition to the workplace. Whilst many of your standard leadership duties will remain the same, it is how you go about them that may need to change. So here are some of the pitfalls to avoid when leading a young team.

Developing a parent/child relationship

When your staff are nearly the same age as your children there can be a tendency to treat them that way. Whether the result is they feel “talked down to” or that you let them get away with behaviour you wouldn’t accept from an older worker, it is not the type of relationship that is going to help either of you achieve your goals. As a manger, you need to establish the kind of relationship that will not only assist the younger employee to learn but also show other employees that there is fairness and consistency.

Not providing enough direction
If left to their own devices, younger employees can feel like they are floating without a clear direction. Particularly when it comes to work environments that are in constant change, you need to be the stabilising influence that helps them see what direction the organisation is headed in and where they fit into that bigger picture. In the absence of a clear direction, they will make it up for themselves!


Assuming they know the unwritten rules of work Over time older workers have tapped into the unwritten rules of work and learnt how to follow them. So they know how to dress, how to deal with senior staff and how to act in meetings. The rules that apply to each of these situations are often not the same as the rules that apply outside of work. The results can be that younger employees break the unwritten rules without even knowing they existed! Your role is to help them understand these rules so their transition into the workplace culture is as smooth as possible. A word of warning . . . be prepared for them to question the validity of any or all of the unwritten rules and be ready with a real answer!


Failing to deal with the personal issues
Unlike past generations, younger generations do not see that work and life are separate. In fact for many of them, work provides a pseudo family and is certainly at the centre of their social life. This means that their personal issues can easily become workplace issues that managers need to get involved with. Younger employees may also turn to their leader looking for guidance in areas that were traditionally handled by their parents. This is where you need to walk a fine line between being a substitute parent and creating a parent-child relationship mentioned earlier.


Focussing on the past instead of the present or the future

The pace of change is so fast now that last quarter, not last year, is considered the past! Using examples from the past will not win over the younger generation and will in fact create distance between you and them. Keep your references current and keep up to date with what is happening now and in the near future whether it is in IT, marketing or human resources practices. If a younger staff member comes to you with some edgy idea that’s just hit the market don’t dismiss it out of hand. Instead, show them you are willing to look ahead by giving them the opportunity to explore it further and report to you on it’s viability for your organisation.

Article Contributed by Karen Schmidt ,an award winning speaker, workshop leader and facilitator and a re-engagement expert with Training Edge International .
Email : karen.schmidt@trainingedgeasia.com,
Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com