How can I better manage colleagues beneath me at work?

Question

I am a graphic designer and have 2 new interns underneath me at work, which is fine but they seem to refuse to listen to me and what they should be doing? How can I better manage them?

I think it has something to do with them being a few years older than me and not wanting to take instructions from a younger person.

Thanks very much everyone, you have given me some good tips. I myself am not long out of the intern position, was made a designer last month. Its a very competitive environment, all the lower employees scrambling to show each other up. But hopefully with your advice I can pull us together to get the job done. Thanks!

Answer 1

The first problem is that you're trying to manage people. You can't manage a person, you can only manage the task you need done.

Try this: Give each person a task to get done by the end of the day. Give them the tools they need (be it training, a pencil, whatever). Give them the freedom to figure out how they want to do it and let them do it. Don't stop by every 15 minutes to see how it's going. Get together with them at the end of the day.

If it's not done- discuss what obstacles they faced that prevented them from completing the task.

If it is done- discuss why they feel they were able to complete the task in the time allotted and give them something a little more challenging.

If the age difference is only a few years (less than 5) it shouldn't really be a factor. If you're male and they're female, or vice-versa, this could play a factor too. Those things can't be helped.

If you give a person the tools they need to succeed and they refuse, you need to find new interns. Just keep telling yourself, "I cannot make this person do anything they don't want to". Because you can't. Enable them to do their job and if they don't, find someone else who will.

Answer 2

I suspect that age may be a minor factor, but age alone doesn't explain this. An intern is, by definition, in training. So, if the intern doesn't listen, either he is a very bad employee, or there is something wrong in the communication process. When there are two interns, it seems unlikely that they're both bad employees. And, if the intern is in training, he/she wouldn't typically resent learning from somebody younger. You, after all, have what they need--real life experience.

So, I'd start by analyzing my communication style. Is this your first management experience? And, are you supposed to be managing them or are you supposed to be training them? There is a subtle difference in how you need to interact with them.

With interns, understanding the big picture is important. Feeling like they're part of the whole plan is what they're really learning about. So, start any assignment with that in mind. Discuss the big picture--don't give an order or an instruction. As the big picture discussion unfolds, you have an opportunity to explain how the work they'll do fits into this big picture. They, you and they, together can decide how to best divide the tasks required. You can exolain your reasons for preferring to do it your way, but you need to allow some leeway. Otherwise, their internship will be nothing more than a bunch of completed tasks.

Answer 3

Time for a closed room Las Vegas rules come to Jesus meeting. Air out the problems, no offense taken in either direction, no one else around and nothing leaves the room. This will clear the air of any problems, or perceived problems and get everyone to start at square one again. They find out your concerns, you find out theirs. Would do this with lunch ordered makes a better atmosphere.

Answer 4

The best way to have subordinates to listen to you is to listen to them with a genuine interest. Let them know that you care about these feelings or opinions. However, you can only go with the best answer and they should try not to be offended with your decisions.

Answer 5

sometimes you've just gotta take 'em out into the yard and
give them a good 'shanking'

or cut them till the white meat shows. . .

Answer 6

at the beginning, to maintain the "friendship", you're able to desire to know their characteristics. as an occasion, if this guy or woman is large at making this rfile, enable him do it. attempt to no longer eliminate any of his "customary jobs" or "privelages". which will threaten him and make him have faith you're astounding revenge on him. stick to your undertaking. this is okay to return to this guy or woman for help. actually everyone already is acquainted with you very own that place. you do no longer could desire to rub it in to anybody. So, if this guy or woman is supposedly greater effective than you, it particularly is positive. in case you opt for something that he's an authority on, bypass to him. enable him understand which you're soliciting his skills. Being a supervisor isn't approximately "understanding greater", this is approximately "understanding the thank you to regulate human beings". it particularly is all. study to delegate. this could nicely be a great area of your managerial customary jobs. Delegate paintings to this guy or woman's strengths. do no longer delegate interior the experience of "you're able to desire to do....". instead, make it "when you consider which you're an authority at this, are you able to nevertheless try this......" this permits this guy or woman to experience "substantial" and area of the group. To proceed being a solid supervisor on your subordinates, be considered generally. What subordinates hate is whilst a supervisor in no way shows his/her face around different than to bark orders. They then lose know. So, shop lively interior the communique, yet do no longer micro-take care of. There are continually approaches of having updates on paintings devoid of entering into human beings's faces. as an occasion, enable's say you tasked a job to this guy or woman. Awhile later, you prefer to work out how this guy or woman is doing in this job. bypass to that guy or woman and say something like, "hi, undergo in thoughts that job you have? i replaced into thinking in case you may derive a much better approach to try this job? Or a quicker way of starting to be this job performed? the place are you on it now?" This particularly makes the guy experience like they're "in charge" to the job particularly than merely "in charge" to get it performed. provide those issues a attempt. there is much greater to coping with workers than merely being to grant orders. you already know that. you will not are turning out to be chosen in case you probably did no longer understand that. solid luck.