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 peers.
-- 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 vise versa.
Make clear what you'll be doing differently from your predecessor, if anything. Remember, rank-and-file 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 influence 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.
你终于如愿以偿得到了晋升，现在你是新官上任的老板了。起初也许一切感觉如常，不过要想管理好昔日与你平起平坐的同事，双方还是都需要做出重大调整的。
你在一开始的时候如何应对这种身份转变，决定了你的团队今后能否长期保持和谐高效。
──泰然接受这种身份转变。专家表示，你与同事的关系不可避免是要有所改变的，一定要做好心理准备。如果目前的某个下属曾经是你的朋友，那么要做到这一点也许会比较困难。其实你也无需放弃友谊，不过需要跟对方开诚布公地谈一次话，明确界定你们在工作上的新关系。
北卡罗来纳州查珀尔希尔市（Chapel Hill）基石高层管理人才发展集团（Cornerstone Executive Development）总裁兼CEO斯蒂芬?赛维尔（Stephen Xavier）表示，“你要清楚自己什么可以做什么不可以做。传播办公室小道消息、背后说同事坏话当然都是不可以做的。”
你也不可以再跟同事过从甚密，比如，你以前跟同事一起共进午餐，现在也许就必须放弃这个习惯了。
──接受一些必要的培训。如果公司没有提供管理培训，那就自己去报个班、找个职场导师、看一些相关书籍，并留心观察其他上司是如何管理下属的。
俄克拉荷马州俄克拉荷马城（Oklahoma City）管理人才发展协会（Executive Development Associates）CEO邦尼?哈格曼（Bonnie Hagemann）表示，你会希望自己表现出适度的权威。那些刚刚登上领导岗位的人通常都有些过犹不及，要么太过严厉要么太过宽松。
──确定自己的角色。一开始就采取行动，向下属说明你打算如何行使老板的职责。态度要坚定，不过同时也要乐于接纳反馈意见，跟下属沟通你对他们的期望，也让他们表达他们对于你的期望。
如果你今后的工作方式会有异于前任之处，那也要跟下属沟通清楚。切记，普通员工通常只需关注自己的职责，而身为老板，你的职责是为部门和公司提供最优解决方案。也许，就在几周前你还与这些同事相互扶持并肩作战，现在就得调整他们的岗位和薪酬了。
──表现出对下属的关心。让他们逐步地适应变化，突如其来的巨大变动可能会给他们造成很大的压力──尤其是那些比较复杂的变动。
可能的话，让下属也参与进决策过程中来，帮助他们理解这些变动的必要性。
赛维尔表示，要想表达出对昔日同事的关心，一个很好的方法是跟他们单独谈话，向他们阐明事态将有怎样的变化。
──千万不要偏心。偏心会影响到你的公信度，对你的朋友可能也会起到一个适得其反的作用，因为他们可能会恃宠而骄。
伊利诺伊州伍德戴尔市（Wood Dale）RHR国际管理咨询公司（RHR International）的高级合伙人保罗?威纳姆（Paul Winum）表示，“一个内部提拔上来的管理者如果跟某个下属过度亲密，可能会导致对方产生自得自满的情绪，那你的工作会因此而变得愈发棘手。如果是一个空降兵，跟下属没有旧交情，那大家倒是可以更好地协同一心、各司其责。”
──及时解决问题，以免问题扩大化。有些没能得到提拔的昔日同事也许会有失望的情绪，威纳姆建议，不妨在经过重组的团队内给他们安排一些新的机会或是挑战。他说，“你肯定会希望跟下属建立起某种积极的富有建设性的关系。”
跟那些曾经觊觎老板位置的下属及时沟通，解开他们的心结、解决他们面临的问题，这样，就不至于以后要手忙脚乱地应对某个更大的问题或者某个下属突如其来的辞职了。 |