Challenge accepted: How to go from being a popular colleague to a good boss

Done! It's finally official: You have been awarded a leadership position in your own company. But along with the euphoria, a second feeling quickly mixes in: uncertainty. How will your colleagues react when you suddenly become the boss? Can you still make plans to go to sports with a certain colleague? How will the relationship develop with the other colleague who also aimed for the position? At the same time, you are being put to the test. Will the set goals be achieved? Can you make the leap from being an employee to an authority figure? In numerous seminars, I have accompanied people in taking this leap and succeeding. Such a transition varies in every company and at every hierarchical level, yet there are some simple guidelines that help in every situation.

Stay calm

You know a lot about the company and see it from a different perspective. Coupled with the expectations of the management, a short circuit can easily occur, and before you know it, you may find yourself wanting to overturn existing structures. Wasn't there that one project where it seemed like two employees were always doing the same work? Wouldn't it be wiser to assign your former office neighbor right away to organize an event that urgently needs to be planned? Well-intentioned actions to quickly increase efficiency often create chaos - and thus more problems. So, before you start making decisions over the heads of project managers, shuffling former colleagues back and forth, and filling your own workday with impulsive and unsystematic decisions, take a moment to pause.

As a new boss, take the time to understand your team, see through them, and then make changes.

Change your perspective and assess from your new viewpoint. Perhaps your office neighbor seems the most suitable for a task simply because you are used to interacting with them? Under certain circumstances, the two employees mentioned may not be doing the same thing at all, but rather have their own system of work division that you as a colleague had not noticed back then? Understand as a new boss how your team operates. Try to understand how different work processes have evolved. Once you have an initial overview of your field of work, you will realize that it is usually the small inconspicuous adjustments that can optimize your team in a short time.

Listen!

Unlike in your role as an employee so far, your success is now defined not only by your personal performance. Now you must create the foundations on which your employees can work successfully. Put yourself in the shoes of your first feedback meeting with the management. Consider to what extent a decision you are about to make is relevant there. Will you be able to argue for transferring an employee by saying that a project will progress better as a result? Will sanctioning a habitual coffee break lead to the desired higher output?

Do not set priorities and listen to all employees equally.

Recognize the advantages from your previous position as an employee. Many colleagues already know you. However, do not rely solely on what you already know, but expand your assessments: Gather as many opinions as possible to better understand where resources are needed, where time is being wasted. You will quickly realize which changes are truly useful and necessary. A short coffee break can often be more effective than a large brainstorming session. Two colleagues might be passionate about each other's tasks and be better suited for them. You will learn all this most quickly by staying in active communication with your team. But do not succumb to the temptation of only listening to those who have already been part of your closest circle of colleagues. There is nothing wrong with maintaining good relationships, but pay close attention to ensure that others do not feel they are being treated preferentially. Especially with those who applied for the same position, a sense of appreciation and respect should be fostered.

Say what you want!

Even if you act calmly from the beginning as a new boss, listen, and keep the work of the new team running as smoothly as possible, your former colleagues will have similar questions as you: Are we still on a first-name basis? Will I keep the project I am currently working on? Will my known quirks like smoke breaks or phone calls now be viewed negatively? Therefore, create clarity and communicate from the start what you consider important. Send signals that you do not treat anyone differently. If you use informal address with some, offer it to other colleagues at the same level. If you socialize outside of work with some employees, try to foster a sense of togetherness by organizing events like after-work drinks for others as well.

The more transparently you make decisions, the easier it is for them to be accepted.

Even more important is to clarify your relationship with your entire staff. Focus on what matters to you as a boss: Where is the journey together headed? Keyword: Transparency! Of course, you will not be able to answer all questions, and not everything you decide as a new boss will meet the approval of your former colleagues. However, the clearer you communicate why you make decisions to your team, the easier it will be for them to accept them. Providing a clear "battle plan" is also beneficial for you: If you cannot explain a decision to your employees, you should reconsider whether it has been thoroughly thought through.

Do not hide

As a manager, you will not be able to be present in the same way as you were as a colleague. Whether it's having lunch together, project-related meetings, or a little chat in the kitchen - such encounters will likely happen less frequently. Instead, you will now be seen more often with executives from other departments, or you may not always be directly approachable for your former colleagues due to meetings in other locations. Therefore, it is important to take your presence in the office literally. Be approachable for your team. Do not make your former colleagues feel like you have "surpassed" or left them behind. Leaders who only meet their employees to present them with accomplished facts breed discontent within the team. "Too good for us," "Pride comes before a fall," "Mr. Important." It's quicker than you think to be labeled as an unapproachable boss. Shedding that label later on becomes significantly more difficult. Therefore, from the outset, make time for your team. How about planning a team lunch weekly at the beginning? This way, you can stay in touch with your team in a more relaxed atmosphere and get a sense of the general mood. Meeting in different locations and a relaxed atmosphere will make it easier for your team to address a difficult relationship with a client or critical points in a business matter than in a one-on-one conversation in the boss's office. However, the most important lesson for your relationship with your former colleagues is a simple one: It's up to you. Think figuratively, see yourself as the captain. You are expected to know where you are going, how to navigate or weather storms, and what motivates your "crew." You may not be able to plan the exact path, but with the above tips, you can take the step and settle into your new role as a boss.