From peer to manager
How do you handle going from peer to manager? I have recently seen someone in a similar situation and they became an enemy rather quickly but they also didn’t care to have relationships with people so they don’t seem bothered by that at all.
I on the other hand try to build relationships with people. I have been promoted 3 times now moving up to a low level manager. Each promotion, though the first two were none management people slowly dropped off like flies and it does bother me each time. It’s just uncomfortable to know people don’t like you and avoid you.
Certain people stopped engaging with me in conversations, now I’m in this low level management position and I realize I can’t really engage like I used to as I need to keep it professional.
At this time I’m not the manager of most of my previous peers, as I am managing new employees, but I will have an opportunity coming up where this could happen and I need to know how you handle this?
I can already see the pushback, arguments of why they need to do something, attitude when I ask them to do something, having to ask multiples times and them wanting to verify with someone else etc. they do this already when I cover as manager. When I am covering it isn’t a big deal as they eventually answer to someone else but when I am their full time manager how does that go?
Also will say what I saw with another manager is this team of people that kicked me out of their circle after my first promotion, tried to get an alliance against the boss at that time. I was invited to one of those meetings but it was totally out of pocket. They were ranting about changes and they were needed changes so I didn’t have anything to add to stay part of that. That boss was beyond fair to all of us, and probably even loyal tot he ring leader that pulled that stunt. The boss always promoted them and made sure they got a good portion of the bonuses etc and it was so crazy to me to see these unappreciative people acting like kids. I don’t think anything came of it. But I’m an even less experienced manager what if they do this to me and get me in trouble idk these are just fears if I make a dumb mistake as I am sure I will make some figuring it out at first.