I’m 29 and have recently started in a new job at an insurance company as, well, supervisor of about 23 people. With the exception of 1 or 2, all my new team members have been with the company for between 10-20 years and with the exception of a handful, they’re all older than 37; in addition, they’re all much more technically knowledgeable than I am, which is a bit intimidating.

At first, I thought they were a ‘well oiled machine’ having worked together for many years; however, there is some friction amongst the team (and as expected, a little towards me – although, I can understand why, particularly since a few of the team had applied for this position and were turned down). I know I shouldn’t feel daunted by all this, but it really does make me feel a little intimidated sometimes – especially since I’ve never really been in this scenario before (at my previous company, my team was 4 people.)

Budgets are tight, time is a rare commodity and some individuals think that team activities are beneath them. What can I, as the newbie, do to help foster a better sense of team within my unit – generally and on a daily basis, without really overwhelming them? 

The Team Doc Says…

Your situation is not unique. As organizations age, it is becoming the norm for supervisors to be younger than their direct reports. Although there are people who will make it an issue no matter what the circumstance, the key thing you need to remember is that being the leader is what’s important — not your age.

Since it sounds like you are a little “green” in this area — that’s a big leap from a team of four to a team of 23, it would be a good idea for you to seek out a mentor to help you transition and hone your skills. There are plenty of training opportunitites to learn new skills too. Plan out what you need and get started.

And I wouldn’t worry too much about the technical knowledge. You were hired to manage the team, not do the technical work. If you manage properly, and match the right team member with the right task you can’t help but succeed.

As far as your team is concerned, take a few minutes to read one of my previous articles about how to leverage strengths to close the generation gap here.

What do you think reader? Have other advice to offer? Please leave a comment.

We have a team of 7 people (incl myself and my husband) at our vet clinic. Until recently, everyone has worked terrific together as a team. The work environment has been wonderful. Recently, we were shocked when our youngest team member told me that our team is no longer getting along, people are mad at each other, and that it’s starting to be a dreaded place to come to work. We have not noticed a problem and we’re unsure where the problem is coming from. Is this young person (whose own performance has gone down) the only one with a problem? How do we determine if/what the problem really is? We don’t want anyone of our small team to think we’re pointing fingers or placing blame, but we do need to get to the bottom of this issue. Suggestions?

The Team Doc Says…

First, you need to start noticing what is happening with the people in your business. Then you need to take action and you need to do it now. There is something happening in your clinic that could pose a real risk to your business. Be glad this person had enough trust in you to give you a heads up about something going on.

This young person’s performance has probably deteriorated because she(?) dreads coming to work. When people are not engaged in their work, it shows. Big time.

Start paying attention to the interactions between the people on your team. What do you see happening? Are they snippy to each other? Do they avoid talking? You need to identify the behaviors you are seeing in your staff. Then you need to talk with each one of them about what you saw and ask them why it happened. Next define what is acceptable behavior and get their commitment to behave differently. If the behavior doesn’t change, you may have to let someone go. Be prepared to do that. It isn’t pretty, but keeping a toxic team member on your team will wreak more havoc than your business can afford.

Doing these things is not pointing fingers. This is being the boss. And sometimes you just have to do that.

What do you think reader? Provide your thoughts by leaving a comment.