What I Learned Being a Millennial Boss

I found it offensive that in my Google search of “Millennial Boss,” 90% of the results were articles on how to deal with having a millennial boss, as if we are some sort of youthful plague on corporate America. I didn’t see much advice from the millennial’s perspective.

I spent some time at two different direct marketing companies as an Account Manager. In both of these companies, one of the Account Manager’s responsibilities is to build a team, which you do through conducting second-round interviews (The owner does the first-round interview). Some of my team members were twice my age. I struggled with managing these older employees at first, but it was a valuable experience which taught me how to effectively manage employees with different experience levels- a vital skill for a millennial boss. Here’s what I learned.

A Millennial Boss Has to be an EXTRA Sharp Dresser

I went to work every day clean-shaven and wore an ironed shirt and matching tie. I made sure my hair was on point and accessorized with a nice watch. There’s a reason I did this, and it wasn’t to be flashy.

As a Millennial Boss managing a Baby Boomer, the key is establishing respect. The best bet is to establish this respect with the first impression. Appearance is one of the key factors in first impressions. Here’s an example.

Say I don’t wear a tie, haven’t shaved in three days, and forgot to iron my shirt that day. I’m supposed to be a manager of a marketing firm that works with Fortune 500 clients- why would an interviewee respect me or the company I work for if I look like that?

It’s especially important as a millennial boss because older employees will see their own kids in you, and once that happens, it’s extremely hard to command the respect a boss requires.

A Millennial Boss Has to Remain Professional at all Times

One of the misconceptions older generations have towards millennials is that they have no professional ambition. I personally get offended when people think that just because I’m 25, I don’t know exactly what I want to do the next five, ten, and fifteen years. I always have to refrain from arrogantly stating how I’ve had my own freelance copy-writing business since the age of nineteen, and then asking how many of their talents they monetized by the age of twenty. The point is, as a millennial boss, you do not have the option to lapse on your professionalism.

For me, I had to figure out a way to build a relationship with these older employees without going to my go-tos for people my age (want to grab some drinks?). Even though this could be used with older employees, as a young boss I don’t want to send the message that I still drink like I’m in college.

I build relationships with older employees through going out for coffee. It has the same benefits of going out for drinks, but without interference of alcohol, the conversation stays strictly professional. Plus, Baby Boomers tend to not need alcohol to lower their inhibitions enough to hold a conversation- a skill an uncomfortable number of millennials currently lacks.

In my experiences, religiously maintaining a professional appearance and professional behavior are the two keys a millennial boss in any field can use to earn and keep the respect of employees twice their age. If you have any questions, then reach out to me on Twitter @BPucino- I’m always up for continuing the conversation!