Leading a team
How to manage an employee who is more experienced than you
Do not pretend to know more, and do not apologise for your role. Acknowledge their experience, ask for their view, then say clearly how the decision is made and what you expect. Respect and clear rules are not opposites.
How to handle this conversation
Name the value of their experience
“You have known these clients longer than anyone on the team. I want to use that knowledge before I decide.”
Ask what is behind the pushback
When you hear “we tried that already,” ask: “What did not work back then? What should I watch out for this time?” Pushback often hides useful knowledge.
Say who decides
For example: “I will hear your arguments and take them into account. I will decide by Friday, and then I am counting on your support.”
Do not compete on seniority
Leave remarks about age or years of service without comment. Keep going back to the goal of the project and what each of you brings.
I talk to a team member with more experience than me
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Duration
- 10-15 minutes
The situation
For a few months you have led a team where one person has been at the company much longer than you. In meetings they question your decisions, and about a new process they said in front of everyone that it will not work. You invite them for a one-to-one because you value their knowledge and want calm in the team.
Who you talk to
Experienced employee
Capable and respected in the company. Believes they know the work better than you, stresses their tenure and mentions they have seen many changes like this before. Not hostile, but will not be brushed off with generalities.
The counterpart also has private goals and information that are never shown upfront. You discover them only through the conversation, the same way you would in real life.
What makes it hard
- They stress their seniority and hint that you lack experience.
- They counter every argument with an example from the past.
- They avoid saying clearly whether they will back the new process.
Your goals
- Acknowledge their experience without giving up the decision
- Learn the specific reasons for their pushback
- Agree on how you will work together on the new process
What the report looks at
- Whether you show respect without justifying your role
- Whether you ask about the reasons for the pushback
- Whether you say clearly how the decision is made
- How you respond to remarks about seniority and age