What are some tips for managing an employee who got a lot more schooling than I did? - Comparably | Comparably

What are some tips for managing an employee who got a lot more schooling than I did?

Leadership

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18 Answers

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    Know the job/work being performed. Allow them to be part of problem solving while making sure the manager has final decision. There is always more than one way to successfully solve problems.

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    To try to learn from them and get better. And just be nice in general.

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    I would hold them accountable to policy. Don't forget you are a manager for a reason. More schooling doesn't make them more able to do the job. Especially if they are right out of college. Best of luck!

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    Don't micromanage. I have noticed among green managers that they tend to micromanage seasoned employees. You might actually learn something new by taking in feedback, or, allowing the team to have input.

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    Remember that a person having more schooling than you have does not mean that he or she is smarter or better at their job than you are, and it certainly does not mean that you shouldn’t be managing that person’s work. Have grace and be humble. Treat your employee as your equal. Treat your boss as your equal. Treat everyone in the world as your equal because they are in fact equal to you, as a human. Don’t overthink it. There are a lot of factors that go into being a smart, successful worker, such as schooling, experience, personality, and interpersonal dynamics. If you are managing an employee with more education that you have, then perhaps you will learn from that person. Good for you.

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    Nobody knows everything even if they are 'schooled' so be confident in what you bring to the table and don't be afraid to listen to someone different from yourself.

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    Don’t be threatened ask them their opinion. Chances are your experience is more valuable.

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    Who cares? The world is full of drive through order takers with PhDs. Be respectful of the effort put in but remind them we all contribute to our success.

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    Ask the employee with more education about something you're interested in learning more about. Share information about things you are knowledgeable of that will help the employee with his job. That way both parties are learning new things, helping one another and helping the department as a whole.

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    set goals for such employee and help assuring the success of reaching these goals. Help along the way and be as useful as possible. My VP on the other day brought me a coffee, so I could have saved time :)

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    Be confident in your knowledge and be humble enough to learn from the employee's perspective

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    Learn from them

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    Condescension is not recommended, you likely do not know their situation

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    Book smart does not mean that the higher learning person is smarter in the working field. what if you put a engineer in the job place as a police officer, would the engineer be better than the officer. Not hardly

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    Lean into their book smarts but share your experience. Real like experience can’t be taught.

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    Don't let their education intimidate you. There are a lot of people out there with a degree but lack the social skills to effectively lead people. Use your people skills to connect with them on a personal level. How about the feedback sandwich approach (negative/uncomfortable feedback sandwiched in between two positive statements)?

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    Collaborate and communicate; intellectual humility goes a long way

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    I'm not sure you need to approach it any different than you would another employee. If it feels uncomfortable, you could address it along the lines of I hope we learn from each other and best leverage each of our areas of expertise. And further set an open environment by noting that you're hoping they'll be open to sharing with their ideas and thoughts, and discussing them with you.