You want employees who are honest, responsible, dependable, loyal, focused, organized and mature. What company could ask for more?

These traits are already found in older workers, even though the demographic is often overlooked as a valuable resource. Unfortunately, emerging lodging and hospitality supervisors who want to make their mark impressing upper management are often challenged in managing these seasoned employees.

Often, the young manager makes mistakes that can lead the company to age discrimination lawsuits. The basis of these mistakes, have origins in pigeonholing the older worker.

HR Hero.com provides a list of ideas for younger managers:

• Do take your time to know your team members as individuals. You may discover you have shared common values.
• Do realize that "seasoned" team members have an inside track into the company's personalities and politics. Their opinions and advice could be valuable for your success as a manager and longevity within the company.
• Do judge older workers on their actual abilities and real behaviors. Age is not indicative of technological prowess, productivity, flexibility or loyalty.
• Don't constantly remind older employees you're "in charge." This can be judged as verging on workplace bullying or perceived as arrogance. Plus, it makes you look weak.
• Don't set up work teams by age or gender, assuming that people are more comfortable working with colleagues of similar backgrounds or experiences.
• Don't offer flexible work options to younger employees without offering the same to older workers.
• Don't use age-related nicknames (i.e., Ms. first name, Mr. first name, Pops or Grammy) when referring to older workers, even if it is meant as a term of respect.

Why is this important? Most age discrimination cases grow out of wrongful discharge and mandatory retirement policies, but they can involve any adverse change in working conditions, including denial of a promotion or training.

Communication, communication, communication is the key to a new manager's success. It is important not to assume that the older employee — or anyone — will understand your directions. Their past experiences may be different from yours and can produce unexpected results.

To maximize success, take your time provide direct instructions. For example: "Charles, take care of the proposal for me," is not descriptive enough. Instead say, "Charles, use the Pennington proposal from last year as the basis, add 10 percent on the food cost and 15 percent on the labor cost. We need this by Wednesday."

This type of descriptive communication will lead to more successful results for the emerging manager.

As baby boomers move toward retirement, Generation X supervisors who desire to advance in their careers should learn how to manage and inspire seasoned workers. There is an inherent difference in how each generation views work and business. It is incumbent on the supervisor to be the leader creating a work place environment that keeps all the workers motivated, productive and engaged.

Older workers have a responsibility to the younger manager, too. Don't repetitively tell the team about "the way we did it before." Be open to innovation and training, learn new technologies and be able to use — and converse about — the latest apps and Twitter. But, above all, treat your supervisor with respect.

Have you noticed these ideas are good supervisory traits for any manager? Practicing effective communication techniques while treating your employees with respect will lead to a cohesive team that is motivated to work together.