How To Effectively Transition To Lead Peers
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If you have been working for a while, it is likely that you have been promoted within your team making you your peers’ boss. You could have been on the other end of that equation: having to report to someone who was your peer. Another variation of the latter is not getting that higher position and then reporting to someone who now has the job you wanted. Been there, done that, have all three t-shirts.
Any of these scenarios has its own elephant in the room and inevitably there is an awkward period. This is when we need to put our adult clothes and step up to the plate. The sooner we nip in the bud, the faster people, routines, and flows will fall into place.
It is very possible that you will experience stress-related emotions once you hear the news. Those feelings are temporary, and they will pass. The key to riding the emotion wave is to first notice the feeling in your body (e.g., faster heart rate, heat, etc.). Second, to name it – fear, anger, disappointment, sadness, etc. And finally, to pick a tool to help you come back to feeling secure and calm – meditation, going for a walk, etc.
Regardless on which side of the coin you are – becoming the manager of your peers or being managed by a peer – take time to care for yourself and ride the emotion wave appropriately. Some people need a few minutes, others may need to take a day off. Do what works for you – take advantage of and use your sick days.
Here are some tips to effectively transition to lead peers.
Be very transparent
Everyone, including yourself, wants to know how the specific change will impact them. Am I going to lose my job? What else is changing? How will this person lead?
Let everyone know about your leadership style, communicate immediate or future changes as much as you are allowed to do so, and hold ‘ask me anything’ sessions. If you have information but are not yet authorized to share it, say so. People can perceive if you are hiding something, which will hurt your credibility later on.
Identify and communicate clear expectations. In the words of Brené Brown, clear is kind. Set straightforward goals as well as acceptable and not acceptable behaviors and attitudes.
Create early wins for the entire team
You want your boss, peers, and direct reports to feel that something new and exciting is happening. They will feel energized, and you will build your credibility.
Create, enhance, or refine the vision, mission, and strategy for the function and communicate it to the team. Your promotion is a new job even if it is in the same group. People want guidance and they want to know what they are aiming to achieve.
Use your inside knowledge to your advantage
Now that you are leading your former peers, you have an opportunity to do something about their pain points. Since you experienced similar challenges, you have inside knowledge.
Tell them how you plan to address those pain points now that you have more influence in the company. Ask for their input and inform them on what was included in the solution, what will be considered later, and the ones that got discarded and why.
Accept that the relationship must change
We all want to get along and it will be awkward for you to now be your frolleagues’ boss. You deserve the job and the people who decided to promote you know that you are qualified. This is part of the profit and losses that come with every change. The relationship will be different; the sooner you internalize and accept this reality, the better.
You do not have to become a completely different person. At the same time, there may be interactions that cannot remain the same. For example, if you used to go for a drink every week after work, you may want to reconsider. Or if you engaged in harmless exchange of information outside of official channels, you may not be at liberty to keep doing so.
Reenlist your former peers especially the good ones
Some of your peers may be relieved that they get to have a manager they already know well. Leverage their enthusiasm for others in the group.
Other people may have wanted the job you now have. Give them some space for them to ride their emotional wave of potential disappointment, fear, or anger. Whether you mention it – ‘I know you wanted this job also’ – or not is completely a judgment call and it depends on many factors such as company culture, how familiar you are with your colleague, etc.
I encourage you to dedicate the time to support your high potential direct reports to achieve their career goals. With time, they will come to value your partnership, support and interest in their well-being and growth.
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org
Change is the only constant, and it is inevitable. The higher you are in a company, the more you will be exposed to organizational changes that you will not always like. How you choose to react will determine your own resilience, well-being, and positioning in the enterprise. You always have a choice understanding that each available option has its pros and cons.
The good news is that, as part of the change cycle, things will fall into place. This may mean different things for different people. Some of you will find that the change was beneficial. Others will use it as the motivation needed to find another job.
How do you handle organizational changes that impact you directly? Please, let us know in the comments.
As a leadership coach, I enable talent to achieve bold goals with high standards. My mission is to help underrepresented women in the financial industry transition from mid to senior level leadership positions by creating awareness, increasing emotional intelligence, and unveiling the tools and choices available to them.