Managing Senior Level Employees

Ralph Perrine
May 7, 2006

If you're the kind of business person who doesn't avoid big challenges, sooner or later you will face a large endeavor that will require expertise and experience beyond your own. Even though you may be the leader, you are going to have to recruit, hire and retain people who are older, perhaps more experienced, and more talented than you are.

This is a scary situation for many managers. Some managers avoid hiring or working with people who might outshine them. I never did. I feel that if the project before you requires big shoulders and big minds, that's a good place to be. Go find the best people to help you get the job done. And if you find someone who is older and more experienced than you are, its a great opportunity.

If you are committed to putting together teams that achieve, you certainly don't want to limit that achievement potential by insisting that everyone be less talented or less experienced than you are.

But there are some things to remember when managing senior level people who are either your peers or who are older and more experienced.

1. Exchange Items of Value. Good working relationships - like any relationships - require that items of value be exchanged. I will offer this item of value to you, as long as you offer this item of value to me. If the manager requires the employee to offer an item of value (like time, expertise, patience, etc), but cannot deliver a commensurate item of value (like achievement opportunities, distilled insight and knowledge that assists the employee's momentum toward career goals) then the relationship ultimately won't be sustainable.

And money will only carry the relationship so far. If its extremely good money it will carry the relationship for a while. If the money is disappointing and less than what the person could make elsewhere, then its just not going to last.

It is easiest to manage people who are a few miles behind you on the same career path you are. You have the opportunity to save them blood sweat and tears by sharing your experiences and helping them achieve more in less time.

But if an employee is on a different career path, or if they're out in front of you, it can be a challenge to find the right "items of exchange" that will constitute a functioning relationship.

So it is worth thinking and talking about: what are the items of exchange that will make this relationship work.

2. Arrange for useful coaching and input. If the senior level employee has a level of experience and expertise that is too far out of the reach of the manager's expertise (or ability to effectively critique) then the manager needs to recognize that and make sure that the employee has the opportunity to recieve valid input and coaching from a qualified source. Maybe this means peer review, conferences, training, or coaching sessions with a respected leader in that field.

3. Understand the perspective of the senior employee. Senior people often appear to be a little more jaded, even cynical. It may appear that they demand more from their company and from their managers. You've got to remember they've probably been burned a few times and may be a little skeptical by nature. The rah rah stuff won't motivate them - though some of them may appear to play along - they're just buying time.

They are not going to fall for the typical carrot of "do your time, prove yourself and it will pay off in the future". Not unless they are switching into a brand new career and are starting over.

Now, to be sure, sometimes you may have to sit down with a senior level employee and help them see how their comments or demeanor might affect the less experienced employees. I can appreciate a person who carries very succint and unvarnished views of the world. But I can also say to that person, "Yeah I agree, things often turn out that way, but we're working here to create an exception, and I'm sure you do not want to erode the morale of your own team members."

4. Recognize and leverage the senior employee's experience and expertise. Senior people, unlike junior and mid-level folks, may have a significant trail of accomplishments behind them. And they may have acquired an incredible amount of expertise. You should recognize this, and look for ways to let them leverage their experience and expertise. If you don't, they are going to feel taken for granted and under-utilized.

5. Provide achievement opportunities. Senior level people don't need more "experience". They need achievements. Many of them feel they are looking at the last decade of their working career. If you aren't prepared to outline ambitous and doable achievements of sufficient magnitude, then you are putting them in an awkward position. Think about it. You're offering them nothing but a paycheck. As stated before, that's unsustainable.

Nothing generates loyalty in team members (of all ages) like the effective delivery of achievement experiences. If you are the person who helps them achieve things, you will have their loyalty for life. If you are the person who makes them waste their time on things that have no downstream potential, you should expect resentment not loyalty.

In summary, managing senior level people is very different from managing people who are younger or less experienced than you are. Keeping these points in mind will help you create a positive working relationship with senior level employees, and open the door to the the very significant contributions they can bring to your organization. This isn't just the right thing to do. Its a smart sort of humility. The world is a small town and things sometimes get rearranged fast. You may end up working happily for one of your employees someday. If so, you'll be very glad you set the precedent for working relationships that "exchange items of value."