So I’m getting a promotion soon (yay!), moving up from just a line cook to sous-chef and I’ve only been with this company for a few months. Thing is that I’m still quite young (mid twenties) and will be the direct supervisor of some people a fair bit older than I am. Think 10-20 years older. It might just still be a bit of imposter syndrome, but the idea of having to tell people who have been in the business for far longer than I what to do and such really weirds me out.
I feel I wouldn’t like it if “some young brat” that just got hired almost immediately gets a promotion and becomes my supervisor eventhough I worked at the company for far longer. Though maybe not everyone feels like this.
Do other people who have experience with a situation like this have any advice on how to deal with this? It’s kinda been keeping me up at night…
A lot of good comments on here. One thing I’d add is that EVERYONE has imposter syndrome. The thing that differentiates good and bad leaders is how they handle their syndrome. If they try to hide it, they bully people and don’t seek guidance. If they give in to it, they can’t make decisions.
The trick is to maintain humility, recognize that you’ll be wrong, and learn from it. See your job as facilitating their jobs. Listen to your employees and communicate with them. Tell them what they do well. Find out what motivates them.
Older, more tenured employees will appreciate it if you ask for their feedback and if you see it as a team effort. There may be some that are so bitter they can’t get over it. Everyone is better off if they leave quickly.
Yep, this is spot on. Treat everyone fairly and respectfully, even the bitter ones. Try to help them succeed just like the others.