From the course: Difficult Situations: Solutions for Managers

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Adjusting after you get promoted from within your team

Adjusting after you get promoted from within your team

From the course: Difficult Situations: Solutions for Managers

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Adjusting after you get promoted from within your team

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- Leading friends and former peers is often mentioned as a difficult management challenge. It's also one that I personally relate to. I have distinct memories of agonizing over how I was going to make that switch from engaging with my peers as buddies to engaging with them as their boss. We had a tradition of going out to lunch together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and suddenly, I needed to remove myself from that regular habit. It felt abrupt, but it was also necessary. I needed to build trust with the entire team to remain neutral and to keep a professional distance to avoid any concerns about favoritism. If you find yourself in this situation, here are four steps you can take to create a smoother transition. First, address the awkwardness up front. Yes, it might be easier to avoid the situation or assume it will work itself out. It won't. Gather your former work buddies for a meeting, not happy hour, and acknowledge…

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