The greatest challenge that I have faced in my professional career is overcoming the stereotype that is typically placed on young managers. My first management position was at a large wastewater treatment facility in Georgia. I was in charge of managing a group of seasoned wastewater plant operators and construction contractors. The common response encountered during the first few days was "I have children older than you." I soon realized that the respect that I needed to successfully manage this project was not going to easily be earned.
I remembered an excerpt from the book Nuts, which portrays the rise of Southwest Airlines under the management of Herb Kelleher. Mr. Kelleher took a week out of every year and spent a portion of it working as a bag handler, a ticket agent and even as part of the aircraft cleaning crew. I determined that the only way to earn the trust and respect from my employees was to roll up my sleeves and work side by side with them. I had 28 employees at the time, and my plan was to put myself on the shift schedule and work at least three shifts with each employee. This gave me the time needed to gain the respect of the individual employees and get a better feel for the various deficiencies of the operation. .
The three months that I worked the various shift work was the most challenging and rewarding three months of my career. Whether I was working the midnight shift with one of the laboratory analysts or driving a dump truck with one of the equipment operators, I developed a newfound respect for my employees and in the process created a bond that was invaluable during my tenure as manager over the facility. The employees no longer viewed me as a young, inexperienced manager, but rather as part of the team. What I took from those three months has carried over into almost every aspect of my current management philosophy. I have learned that respect is not something that is automatically given, it is something that is difficult to earn and easily lost.
