3 Facts About Having a Younger Manager at Work - The Muse

3 Facts About Having a Younger Manager at Work - The Muse3 Facts About Having a Younger Manager at WorkWhen I was a kid, my favorite movies led me to believe my anfhrer would always be decades older than me. I thought shed have her own office with a humongous desk and a hand-painted portrait of herself hanging on the wall. And to be honest, that was pretty much what happened in my first few jobs. But then, in the role Im now, I was hired by someone whos not only closer in age to me, but also younger than me. And tell you what, I went into the experience with a few misconceptions about what it would be like. Turns out they were all wrong. Heres the reality1. Your Younger Boss Really Knows Her StuffMy boss is an expert at what we both do. No questions about it. As soon as I started reporting to her, it became clear that I would learn a lot. While it can be humbling to know someone who hasnt been alive as long as you is so much more accomplished, it can also be motivating. If she can le arn this much, this fast, then it means you can, too. 2. There Will Still Be a Learning CurveWith that said, it doesnt mean shes done learning. Even if shes younger than you, youve likely been working longer. And that means that youve picked up some incredibly valuable soft skills along the way.Maybe you have relationships with other teams that your boss doesnt have. Or maybe you picked up some industry knowledge in previous jobs that your manager has never been exposed to. No matter what that thing is for you, its your job to figure out how you can leverage your additional work experience to support your manager. And when you do, dont share your knowledge with the end game of getting ahead. When you step up to help her keep learning as much as shes helping you grow, the promotions will come. 3. You Might Have to Remind People at Your Company That Shes Your BossThe unfortunate truth about having a younger manager is that your co-workers will probably assume that someone else is your boss. When a colleague on another team asks you for a favor, it might not cross their mind to include your supervisor on an email. Thats where you come in. Want to make life easier for you and your boss? Be the person whos always reminding everyone whos in charge (when its applicable, of course). For a long time, I assumed people would catch on- and yet, I seemed to constantly catch them off guard when I mentioned that I had to run it by my manager. Its not the easiest thing to say, Hey, Im flattered you reached out to me, but you should probably include my boss on this as well. But its worth it to find a way to say it if you want to avoid miscommunication or confusion down the road. Because as tempting as it might be to start making decisions without her, youll ultimately do more harm than good. Plus, youd be a complete jerk for letting everyone believe youre making the decisions.As you mayve picked up, there arent really that many differences between an older boss or a younger on e. And while countless people in world history have uttered the words Age is only a number, I cant think of a truer clich.