FROM TEAM MATE & FRIEND TO MANAGER & FRIEND

It’s a classic real life challenge coming out of our workshops: You are part of a team becoming their manager (maybe even overnight) suddenly being in a completely different role with different benefits, challenges and implications.

Suddenly all the things you always wanted to change are in your hands. Your former worries as a team mate are yours now. You are suddenly your colleagues superior. Some of the individual habits that weren’t really your problem before are now maybe an issue.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s exciting and great that you’ll be able to change things and take responsibility now. But still: clear and transparent communication is crucial if you want to stay in a good personal relationship and be a good and fair manager. Here is what you should have in mind navigating the transition, because the shift in dynamics can introduce complexities. But with the right strategies, you can navigate this transition smoothly and successfully.

Role Clarification and Boundaries

• Blurring of Roles: Understand that each of us inherits different roles - for example:
  • Personal role (friend)
  • manager
  • leader
  • professional / individual contributor
• Even within ourselves these roles can lead to tensions:
  • while I would recommend myself to go home when I am sick
  • the manager in myself might think that I have to reach my monthly targets
  • while the lead should be a role model in terms of health and performance
  • and the professional in me might want to hold workshops or work on new blog articles like this here
• Between you and your team mates it could happen that:
  • your colleague is in the personal role while you are in the management role when you are meeting
  • while the other person wants to talk about personal things (friend role) you might just want to talk about business (manager role)

It’s important to understand those different levels and set boundaries. In the kitchen and after work you can be for example in the private level and when it comes to business topics you change the environment. Be a role model making these changes and stick to it.

Two things are can be very helpful to set the tone for the future teamwork:

1. Have 1on1s after becoming the manager

• talk about expectations from both sides: Your former peers may have different expectations of you compared to a new manager brought from outside.
• Talk about tensions in case you got the management job your colleague wanted.
• Authenticity: Tell the others your situation and why it might be problematic to you - ask them for advice
• Talk about how you want to give each other constructive feedback so that it doesn’t become uncomfortable.
• Ensure clarity in your new role and your expectations from the individual to avoid misunderstandings

2. Once you talked to everyone in the team, facilitate a Kickoff team event or workshop to talk through how you want to work together - check out our culture design canvas workshop blog post!

Remember: even if the processes are already all set and it seems like not much is changing: you can use the moment to change things on a cultural level.

Let us know if we can support you and enjoy this new career step!