Becoming the boss of former colleagues: a risky promotion?
17 December 2013
Read by 2480 persons
While some newly promoted employees find themselves in a difficult and complicated situation, others easily transition into their new roles to everyone's satisfaction. Here are some factors to consider and mistakes to avoid.
Making the right choice
Some managers tend to be seduced, even swayed, by 'courting' employees who know what to say. Sensitive to being courted, they may overlook the primary criterion for selecting a new manager: competence and results. It seems so logical that one wonders why very competent people often end up under the command of less capable courtiers. This is one of the tragedies of French management.
Following proper procedure
Simply being promoted above colleagues radically changes their position toward you. The question is how to gain acceptance from your team and recognition from those who gave you the promotion. One of the most common mistakes is to promote a new manager summarily, as if it were obvious. The person may then experience great loneliness. Therefore, it is advisable to follow proper procedure; in other words, to formalize the situation. The N+1 manager should meet with each employee in the presence of the new manager to establish new communication lines. This will avoid, among other things, attempts to circumvent the new manager and the negative consequences that follow.
Mistakes to avoid
Depending on natural predispositions to management and behavioral styles, the promoted person will make one or more of these four mistakes:
1) They will try to maintain their likeability by remaining too identified with their team and will tend to take their side
2) Conversely, wanting to assume what they believe to be their new role, they will break ties with their former colleagues, creating a feeling of betrayal or abandonment
3) They will seek to mark their territory by making too many changes too quickly
4) They will feel caught between the demands of their management and the desires of their team and risk feeling confused and indecisive
Essential training
For all these reasons, the promoted person should quickly receive appropriate training on operational management methods. Following this training, they should be able to conduct a series of 'calibration' interviews with each member of their team to clarify their respective new roles while establishing rules that facilitate cooperation and eliminate ambiguity from the outset. This moral contract interview requires some training and allows for a smooth and effective transition. It is also possible to place the new manager under the responsibility of an internal mentor for some time.
Recognizing this new status
To accelerate the team's recognition of the manager's new status, it is advisable to consolidate their position by routing primary information to them, inviting them to meetings that do not include their collaborators, and any other act that enhances their position. In other words, the person is given new duties and obligations, but the 'privileges' that accompany the position are not forgotten.
Marc Roussel.
Terrafemina.com
Posted on December 17, 2013.
Making the right choice
Some managers tend to be seduced, even swayed, by 'courting' employees who know what to say. Sensitive to being courted, they may overlook the primary criterion for selecting a new manager: competence and results. It seems so logical that one wonders why very competent people often end up under the command of less capable courtiers. This is one of the tragedies of French management.
Following proper procedure
Simply being promoted above colleagues radically changes their position toward you. The question is how to gain acceptance from your team and recognition from those who gave you the promotion. One of the most common mistakes is to promote a new manager summarily, as if it were obvious. The person may then experience great loneliness. Therefore, it is advisable to follow proper procedure; in other words, to formalize the situation. The N+1 manager should meet with each employee in the presence of the new manager to establish new communication lines. This will avoid, among other things, attempts to circumvent the new manager and the negative consequences that follow.
Mistakes to avoid
Depending on natural predispositions to management and behavioral styles, the promoted person will make one or more of these four mistakes:
1) They will try to maintain their likeability by remaining too identified with their team and will tend to take their side
2) Conversely, wanting to assume what they believe to be their new role, they will break ties with their former colleagues, creating a feeling of betrayal or abandonment
3) They will seek to mark their territory by making too many changes too quickly
4) They will feel caught between the demands of their management and the desires of their team and risk feeling confused and indecisive
Essential training
For all these reasons, the promoted person should quickly receive appropriate training on operational management methods. Following this training, they should be able to conduct a series of 'calibration' interviews with each member of their team to clarify their respective new roles while establishing rules that facilitate cooperation and eliminate ambiguity from the outset. This moral contract interview requires some training and allows for a smooth and effective transition. It is also possible to place the new manager under the responsibility of an internal mentor for some time.
Recognizing this new status
To accelerate the team's recognition of the manager's new status, it is advisable to consolidate their position by routing primary information to them, inviting them to meetings that do not include their collaborators, and any other act that enhances their position. In other words, the person is given new duties and obligations, but the 'privileges' that accompany the position are not forgotten.
Marc Roussel.
Terrafemina.com
Posted on December 17, 2013.
