What to Do When a Coworker Becomes Your New Boss
So there you have it: this is that awkward moment when someone tells you that a co-worker is your new boss . Your mind is racing as the news comes through. When you hide your initial shock and make you smile, you can’t help but wonder – my lunch buddy becomes my manager. Now what?
This post was originally published on the Muse website .
Or you’re on the other side of the equation: you’ve just been promoted and you know your role in team dynamics will change. You are now the one who bets.
If you’ve ever faced any of these positions, you are not alone. Making changes at work can be challenging, especially when it comes to restructuring. So how do you deal with the transition? Here are some steps to do it gracefully.
If you are a new manager
Let’s start with the newly appointed managers . Your actions as a leader among your former colleagues will speak louder than words. Start your tenure with four steps to send all the messages you want.
1. Tell your team
Tell your team about your move, not as a scary moment, but as an opportunity. Be honest about your new role and share the news of your progress officially and in a way that immediately reaches the entire team (i.e., you no longer need to go to the BFF office first, which could now be considered the chosen one ).
Telling everyone together will demonstrate that you will be working to bring justice to your team and avoid skepticism from former colleagues hearing information from someone other than you. Avoid this risk and define what kind of leader you will be by being honest with your entire team.
2. Get their approval
Is your team ready to trust you as their leader ? To gauge this in advance, schedule one-on-one meetings and use them as an opportunity to ask your direct reports if they are willing to support you – or if they have any questions or concerns they would like to discuss.
Asking their approval might seem like overkill or unnecessary (after all, you got promoted). But as every major airline knows, if you don’t directly ask someone if they want and can open the emergency door, chances are they won’t.
If someone doesn’t support you, ask them to tell you how they can get on board. This is for his benefit, not for you. Helping him develop a plan for how to cope with the transition will benefit his career, and that’s exactly what a strong manager would do.
3. Don’t soften the message, increase the support
New leaders – especially when they are leading their former colleagues – often try to buy people’s love by softening their message. They may be less ambitious about the goals and expectations they set to facilitate the transition. Avoid this temptation and “lift” your footing instead! Instead of dismissing your team’s concerns, be honest. Let them know that change can be difficult at times, but that the success of the transition is highly dependent on each individual.
Use group time to ask questions about these three questions:
- What do you want in your workplace?
- What are you willing to do to get it?
- How can I support this?
While you may not always be able to make the transition easier for your team, you can help them find ways to be successful in their new reality.
4. Reward your employees
Even if you’re used to gossiping with your friends at work at the water cooler, don’t let your new office become a portal to drama. If there are people queuing up with lists of problems you need to fix, resist the urge to react immediately. Listen , but don’t solve all their problems.
Maintain an affirmative answer “as it should” or “good to know” and set up processing sessions. Avoid imposing your own decisions (a common mistake new managers make), but instead be the mouthpiece and guide your team in determining how they will achieve their goals given the circumstances. This will give your employees the opportunity to deliver results.
If you are an employee whose colleague is now the boss
Are you on the other end of the spectrum? As an employee, remember that only you can, through your actions, make this transition a limiting or career-enhancing experience. Here are four ways to make the most of the situation.
1. Step forward
Regardless of how you feel about your coworker becoming your new boss , it’s important to agree as soon as possible and show that you are willing to cooperate. Accept the situation and enter his calendar. Tell your boss that you agree with the new team structure and ask how you can support him during the transition. Your actions and outlook are huge indicators of whether you can move forward.
2. Follow the lead of your boss
One thing’s for sure, your coworker did something right or she wouldn’t have been promoted! So stop asking why it was her (and not you) and follow her example.
Use this as an opportunity to clean up your behavior. Let go of jealousy and look at your new manager as a role model. How does she deliver what the company values? Do what your new manager did and you can get the same rewards.
3. Accept reality
You may have seen your coworker beating you up for a promotion as a failure – or as a decision that has already been made. So avoid negative self-talk and use your energy to answer the question, “How can I get better?”
The “I’m not good enough” mindset, not your circumstances, is what is holding you back. Taking a fresh look at things and redirecting your energies will be critical. You may even find that you prefer your colleague over your old boss!
4. Change the conversation.
If you hear coworkers complaining, change the energy of the conversation. Say something sincere and positive about your new leader. Then ask all participants how they can help reduce their own fears or complaints. After all, you never know when you’ll be next in line for that big promotion.
What To Do When Your Colleague Becomes The Boss (or You Do) | Muse