Do as I say, please

Getting a promotion is supposed to be a cause for celebration. But if you find yourself the boss of people you used to work with, it can be tough knowing how to assert your new authority and you may be on the receiving end of resentment from former colleagues.

Most of the time there’s probably no reason to feel nervous. But Valerie Moodie, human resources adviser at Hyde Housing Association, says: “If other people have been in the job for the same amount of time, there’s always going to be one or two who think they should have had the move themselves and they might be uncooperative.”

It’s a good idea to assert yourself early on. Sue White, head of human resources at Community Housing Association, says: “You’ve got to take control. If someone’s sulking, behave completely normally and they’ll get over it.

“People will deliberately test the boundaries and if you ignore it, you will start to look weak, so don’t be afraid to deal with issues.” Often, the first indications of problems will be minor infractions such as timekeeping, she says – providing the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your authority. “Unlike more serious things like attitude problems, which are harder to pin down, you can sit the person down and say: ‘This is when I expect you to be at your desk; I’m not going to stand for anything else.’”

Moodie agrees: “In the end, they will comply because it’s just not worth the hassle. So persevere and be brave about asking someone to do something.”

Don’t be shy about reminding people why you got the job in the first place. Helen Dighton, personnel manager at the Luminus Group, says: “Even if you’re not confident, you’ve got to give the impression you know what you’re doing.” White recommends taking every opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, because this will make people respect you. But don’t get carried away trying to impress your old colleagues.

You will have to accept that the way you act with your former colleagues will shift, says Dighton. “It’s important to put some distance between you and the people you manage – which might mean people don’t like you very much, but that just goes with the territory.

“If you’ve had a friendship before, to cut it off could be negative. If you’re used to, say, going to the pub with the team after work, you can still go, but perhaps not every time. And you should behave differently: stay sober, and don’t talk about anything confidential or other people in the team.”

Beware of people abusing your former relationship as well. Dighton warns: “People will try to use the pub situation as a chance to raise issues or to find out things they shouldn’t. If that happens, try saying: ‘I thought I came here to relax, not to get my ear bent about problems in the office.’”

But Moodie says that coming from the team is often a good thing: “Most times, people were more than happy to assist me because I came from the ranks. They all know you and they’re generally quite glad that you’ve got a higher position because they’re your friends. Basically, it’s all about how you treated them before you moved up.”

So if you’re hoping for a promotion, now’s a good time to ask the person across the desk if they’d like a cup of tea...