The Boss Is Half Your Age, What Are You Going to Do About It?

Meet your new boss. She's about the same age as your oldest child. Feel your heart drop into the pit of your stomach about the same time that your jaw lands on the keyboard? Welcome to another wrinkle in the continuing saga called maturity!

Traditionally, the workplace reflects the natural progression of professional development. Even into our 40s, our superiors are often older than us, while our professional peers are in our own age group, and the new kids on the block are just that: Kids.

That is, until a young hotshot is brought in to provide new direction, if not shake things up. Or you become more specialized in your professional niche and step off the management track. Or the organization restructures. Feeling doomed to a replay of "Death of a Salesman?" Not if you think and act strategically.

Assess Your Assumptions Before They Make an Ass Out of You!
It's human nature to size up the situation based on your own fears and past experiences. Here's how to avoid building a worst-case scenario before you even have any evidence:

• Don't assume your boss wants to replace you with the latest model. Don't turn ageism against yourself. There's already enough of it in the world. When you assume the worst, your expectations have a way of turning into self-fulfilling prophecies. And why offer solutions where there may not be any problems?
• Don't assume the boss doesn't know anything. The boss may not know as much about your job function as you do, but he doesn't have to. That's why you're there.
• Don't assume the boss is any more comfortable with the situation than you are. Consider your boss's side: managing someone who is clearly more experienced, has a history with the organization, and may already have labeled him as a lightweight. The boss's fear may be hidden behind bravado, but it's there.