Navigating the Transition from Peer to Manager

Most of us start off our careers as individual contributors, hired for a specific role, to do a specific thing. As time goes on, you grow in your role, acquiring new skills and expanding your scope and responsibilities. As the team you’re a part of grows or its needs change, you may be either asked to start managing people or you jump at the chance to move into management.

This can be a tough transition for some - the shift from a peer to a manager, especially within the same team. If you’ve made this change, you know what I mean. Moving from being an individual contributor to the manager of individual contributors means that you have to learn a whole new skill set because being a people manager has so many nuances. It also means you’re likely giving up some or all of the individual contributor work that you were doing before, and people struggle with that.

And what about your former peers who are now your direct reports? They may have a tough time reconciling that you’re now their manager, that you have more responsibility and influence than they do and likely make more money than they have. It can create a tense environment as people acclimate. This transformation can certainly come with its own set of complexities and requires a strategic approach to navigate effectively.

How can you overcome this?

Acknowledge the Weird

The first step is acknowledging the change in dynamics with your team. If you try to just jump into the role without addressing that the reporting structure is different now, that things will change, and that you may all need time to get used to the new normal, it’s going to make the entire situation much more awkward.

Being transparent and open about this managerial shift is crucial. A candid conversation with the team can help in setting expectations and addressing concerns. You’ll want to assure them that while your role in the team is different, you are the same person you were before, and that you are all still working as a team.  

Trust is absolutely foundational to establish early on in the transition and to maintain down the road. As a new manager, you must work diligently to build your teams’ trust. Open communication channels and regular feedback sessions can help foster trust.

Redefining Boundaries

With the new role come new boundaries. As the new manager, you should redefine relationships and levels of professionalism while maintaining respect and empathy.

Oftentimes when we’ve been part of a team for a long period, we form bonds with other teammates. You may have preferences for certain individuals because of their work ethic or have similar interests or you’ve graduated to being friends in your personal life. Whatever the situation is, as the entire team’s new manager, you must avoid preferential treatment for those individuals you prefer. It is essential to foster a fair and equitable environment so that everyone trusts you.

Developing Leadership Identity

Every leader has a unique style. You’ll need to find out what yours is and embrace this individuality. Don’t be afraid to find an experienced mentor that can help you work through your concerns, to help you learn what your management style is.

Have grace with yourself as you adapt strategies that align with your ethics and goals, that align with the organization’s goals, and what is best for the team’s well-being.

And don’t’ forget that as a leader, a fundamental skill is empathy. This should be at the core of all interactions so that you can better understand each team member’s perspective.

Delegation & Growth

It can sometimes feel odd to delegate your individual contributor work out to your team, but you have to be able to quickly determine the team’s bandwidth and each team member’s individual skill set. This will allow you to delegate your work out to those who can get it done efficiently without overloading them.

It’s important as a manager to be able to delegate and empower effectively because you will need the time back to focus on the strategic aspects of your new job. As a supervisor, you’ll need to develop and manage relationships cross functionally, come up with plans on how to complete projects, manage interpersonal interactions across your team, and generally do deep work that requires you to step back and assess. To be successful, you must have good quality time to complete this new aspect of your job.

Delegation also fosters an environment of continuous learning that helps in personal and professional development for each member of your team.

Empathetic Leadership

Leading with empathy ensures that every decision taken considers the emotional and professional well-being of each member of your new team. It aids in navigating through changes smoothly while building strong relationships rooted in respect and understanding.

If you don’t naturally have this skill set, it’s best to acquire it so that you can be the best leader for your team.

The transition from being a peer to becoming a manager within the same group is indeed intricate but manageable with transparency, trust-building, redefining boundaries, developing leadership identity, effective delegation, fostering growth opportunities for all members while leading with empathy at every step of this journey.

If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences, feel free to reach out. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks!