It's your job to help new managers

One day you’ll have a manager who’s less experienced than you.

This is fine! Keep calm and don’t be alarmed! It’s normal, expected, and part of your job.

That’s just how math works.

As you get more experienced (not old… 🧐 just more experienced), more and more colleagues will have less experience relative to you.

People change companies, retire, or leave the field. New folks graduate college, or find other ways to enter your industry and company. Eventually we all end up on the more experienced end of the spectrum.

One implication of this is the pool of available managers will (at some point) be less experienced than you on average.

Managing is a different role

It’s reasonable to ask “how can someone less experienced manage me?” But, you know, managing you is a different role than doing your work.

Sure, it helps if your manager is also an expert in what you do. Maybe even it’s a requirement. But the work is different.

• Coordinating with other managers

• Advocating for you and your team

• Strategizing and prioritizing

• Having career conversations

These are different job requirements than yours (perhaps overlapping). I’ve seen people with far less experience than me be amazing at these.

Also, managers have to start somewhere

Companies need managers (most of them, anyway). Every manager was a new one at some point.

There’s a very valuable role for you to play here: coach, mentor, advisor. While still allowing them to be in charge.

It’s so valuable for you to help new managers learn the ropes, understand how to run a team, etc. Embrace this role! It’s actually pretty fun.