You finally
got that promotion and now you’re the new boss. Things might not feel much different in the
beginning, but managing former peers requires a major adjustment on both ends.
How you handle the change at the outset can affect the long-term harmony and
productivity of the group.
• Embrace change.
Accept that
your relationships with co-workers will inevitably change, say experts. This
can be hard if you were friends with someone you now supervise. You don’t have
to give up the friendship, but you do need to have a frank discussion outlining
the new parameters of your relationship in the office.
“This includes what
you can and can’t do,” says Stephen Xavier, President and CEO of Cornerstone
Executive Development in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Obviously; you can’t participate in
workplace gossip or any negative talk about co-workers.” You also can’t be as
chummy as you were before and you might, say, have to give up your regular
lunch dates with your former peer.
• Get educated.
If the company
doesn’t provide management training, take a class, get a coach, read books and observe
how other bosses handle subordinates. You want to strike a good balance of
authority, says Bonnie Hagemann, CEO of Executive Development Associates in
Oklahoma City, Okla. There’s a tendency for new bosses to manage too harshly or
be too lenient.
• Establish your role.
Early on,
step forward and demonstrate how you will handle your role as boss. Be firm but open to feedback and talk through what you expect from employees
and vice versa. Make clear what you’ll be doing differently from your predecessor,
if anything. Remember, rank-and-fi le employees
tend to be focused on their jobs, whereas your role as boss means doing what’s
best for the department and company. You may be forced to hold employees who
you worked alongside just weeks ago accountable in ways that can influencers
their job standing and pay.
• Address concerns.
Introduce
changes gradually since big, sudden changes can create a lot of
stress—especially if they are complex. Give employees a role in the
decision-making process when you can and help them understand why any changes
are necessary. A good way to discuss individual concerns with other former
peers is to take them aside one by one and privately explain how things will
change, suggests Mr. Xavier.
• Be careful not to play
favorites.
It can harm your credibility as a fair leader and can backfire
with friends who may take advantage of you.
“Familiarity breeds a potential
for some complacency and that can make it more difficult for
the manager who’s promoted internally,” says
Paul Winum, senior partner at RHR International, a management consultancy in
Wood Dale, Ill. “When somebody comes in from the outside, and there’s not a
pre-existing relationship, people are on their toes a little more.”
• Head off problems.
Manage the
disappointment of peers who didn’t get promoted by finding
new opportunities or challenges for them in the restructured team, suggests Mr. Winum. “You
want to forge some kind of positive, constructive relationship,” he says.
Try to talk through any concerns
or issues of those who might have wanted to be boss so you don’t end up being
blindsided by a bigger problem or an employee resigning.
