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AARP- The
Magazine July/August Issue from the Advisor Column
by
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler |
"I'm 58; my new boss is 27. What's the secret to
working with Gen-Xers?
Two things: 1) Don't treat your boss like your kid.
Gen X bosses often
complain that older workers undermine them, ignore
them, and talk down to
them. And never start a sentence with, "When I was
your age..." 2) Be a
techie. Xers tend to prefer e-mail to personal
schmoozing and virtual teams
to big meetings. Staying on the cutting edge is
important to many Xers-and
it'll help you overcome bias from younger colleagues.
I'm interviewing for a job. The pay isn't great, so
I'm asking for more
benefits. Is this OK?
Asking for benefits in lieu of cash is certainly
reasonable-be it extra
vacation time or guaranteed severance and outplacement
assistance if you're
laid off-but don't do it while you're interviewing.
Wait until you receive
an offer-and get the offer in writing. As author
Richard Bolles writes in
What Color Is Your Parachute: "The Road to Hell is
paved with oral promises
that went unwritten and-later-unfulfilled."
I want to telecommute but my boss is leery. What can I
do?
Tell him how it will benefit the company (not how
it'll let you work in your
jammies). Research by AT&T and the Clean Air Campaign
shows that
telecommuting boosts employee morale and increases
productivity by 10 to 20
percent. To sell your boss on the idea, suggest a
six-week pilot program to
measure its effectiveness. |
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