WorkWise: Incisive older workers can help younger employees

Imagine being 55 years old and returning to a workplace after 23 years.

Then, think about the fact that the average age in that workplace is 24.

"I’m not the only 50-year-old who decided to serve his country and go to Iraq," reports Sergeant Neil Gussman of the Army National Guard. "A retired police(man) here is finishing eight months as a helicopter door gunner. He’s 55."

Peter Rosen, president of Atlanta’s HR Strategies & Solutions L.L.C., points out that not everyone fits the stereotype of an older worker, that even young people can seem old and remain that way forever

"Some people are perceived as young their whole life," he observes. In other words, a person’s attitude plays a role in our perceptions of age.

In the culture

Gussman, of Lancaster, Pa., is stationed in an air unit at Tallil Ali Air Base in southern Iraq (near An Nasiriyah). He knew what he needed to do to fit in -- be in shape and stay that way.

"Fitness is a big part of getting along,” he says. “When we were training to go to Iraq, we had a lot of physical training. If I were not out in front, I’d have been perceived as weak in a physical meritocracy. I was in the position women and minorities are in of having to be better than average just to be accepted."

A few months ago he placed third among 90 men and women in his company’s fitness test.

He looked at all of the training from a youthful perspective.

"My enthusiasm helped me get accepted by guys less than half my age, but who are enthusiastic themselves," he comments.

He strives to keep up the rigor at risk of falling back. His success points to the fact that mature workers are in a position to do more than just get along where youthful values reign. They can also enjoy their work.

At The Coca-Cola Co., Rosen met younger workers on their terms, like Gussman. Rosen, a self-described "tech-gadget junkie," found that people came to him for help for getting through techno-glitches.\

His social nature helped, too. He was the lone manager on the company basketball team.

"Not limiting connections in an organization breaks stereotypes," he says. Finally, he gained rapid acceptance by "giving people credit and making them look good."

Retooling

If you’re an older worker who can’t identify with the experiences of Gussman and Rosen, you may be one of a number of people who need help intergenerationally, particularly if you’re not planning to retire in the near future. These relationships are the key to continuing success and satisfaction.

Diversity trainer Jeffrey Gee, president of McNeil & Johnson Learning Co. Inc., in Lake Zurich, Ill., coaches older employees in organizations in line for a promotion or lateral transfer, and others with difficulty in getting along. He advises analytical older workers that, in conversation, they need to respond "at the level and pace" of younger workers.

Then he applies "the three-second rule — to stop and engage the brain before they open their mouth." Like the work Gussman and Rosen do on themselves, Gee’s training is repetitious and successful.

Listening, a key component in building relationships, is tougher for drivers, because they "tend not to listen," he says.

"They’re competitive. They like to win. We have to get them to stop thinking about time, because that’s a big issue with them, so they start to look at a bigger picture. They can come across as not caring. We have to rearrange the way they look at people."

Dr. Mildred L. Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. Copyright 2010 Passage Media.