Clever tactics for young managers

CLEVER TACTICS FOR BRILLIANT YOUNG MANAGERS

If you´re good enough, you´re old enough, a team manager once said when giving Michael Owen, a world-class goal-scorer, his first international game atthe age of 18. Is the same true in business? Young executives come back from business school armed with big ideas, but these may or may not win support from colleagues. So what are the practical stepsthat young managers need to take in order to be welcomed? ´´ The biggest challenge is a basic lack of experience,´´ says Steve Newhall, a management consultant. ´this will affect how other peoplesee you. You need to build credibility with your key stakeholders on a one-to-one basis in order to show that you are up to the job. You have got to have confidence in your ability to do the job. Butremember that the people around you may not share that opinion .´young managers also need to recognize their own weakness - and then do something about them. ´you will need a good mentor straight away,‘says Mr. Newhall, ´someone who has plenty of experience and who gives you support and plenty of good advice.

SOME ADVICE:

* Act your age. Do not try to look like an older person or like astatesman. Dress your age, too.
* avoid favoritism and cliques. Leaders win respect by treating people the same
*build coalitions right away, show colleagues you are away of your limited experience. Andshow that you are interested in getting advice, too
* keep a cool head, even when you are under a lot of pressure. Some colleagues will expect you to crack. do not give then the satisfaction.
*showrespect to older colleagues. They may be on a slower (or different) career path just because that is where they want to be. They have seen many young ambitious people come and go. Draw on theirexperience.
*find the right balance between being enthusiastic and being over-confident. You have been selected for your youth and energy - draw on it. But don´t overdo it.
*under-promise and...