From Peer to Supervisor: Navigating the Challenges of Leading Your Friends

It is a challenge to lead team members who were previously your peers.

One of the most challenging work promotions is when you are promoted from within a team and become a supervisor of teammates who were previously your peers.

The role of a supervisor is to oversee the work of a group of employees, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. Supervisors are responsible for setting clear expectations, providing feedback and recognition, and creating a positive and productive work environment. They also play an important role in managing conflicts, ensuring that employees have the necessary resources and support, and communicating company goals and policies.

It can be challenging for a new supervisor to be in a supervisory role for people they were previously peers with for several reasons. Firstly, the dynamics of the relationship between the supervisor and the employees can change. The former peers may find it difficult to adjust to the new power dynamic, which can lead to resistance or discomfort. Additionally, the new supervisor may find it difficult to establish authority and enforce rules, especially if they are perceived as too lenient or too strict.

Furthermore, the new supervisor may face challenges in terms of balancing the needs of the employees with the demands of the company. They may feel a strong friendship with their subordinates and have a difficult time making difficult decisions, like punishments, assigning unfavorable work, or potentially firing an employee.

In short, transitioning from a peer to a supervisor can be challenging because of the change in dynamics, the need to establish authority, and the requirement to balance the needs of employees and the company.

To help a new supervisor’s transition, we recommend that first, the supervisor meets with the company leadership and gets clear guidance and direction on their new roles and duties.

Second, we recommend that the company leadership formally announce the new supervisor’s role to the entire team. In this announcement, the company leadership should clearly articulate the roles and duties of the new supervisor and should clarify which employees will be direct reports to the supervisor.

Finally, the new supervisor should meet with her team and also individually with each teammate. She should meet with her entire team to outline her new role, expectations, and vision. Then she should meet with each team member individually. These individual meetings serve an important function in building trust, which is an important aspect of any supervisor-subordinate relationship.

Here are some tips for a new supervisor to build trust through the initial one-on-one meeting:

1. Show genuine interest: Ask questions about the subordinate’s role, their goals, and their experiences. Show genuine interest in their perspective and listen actively to what they have to say.
2. Be transparent: Be open and transparent about your own goals and expectations for the role, as well as your management style. This will help the subordinate understand what to expect from you and build a sense of trust.
3. Set clear expectations: Clearly communicate the expectations for the role and what you expect from the subordinate. This will help them understand their responsibilities and how they can best contribute to the team.
4. Foster open communication: Encourage open communication by creating an environment where the subordinate feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Let them know that you value their contributions and are open to feedback.
5. Stay humble: Avoid the temptation to change your personality or become bossy. You were promoted because company leadership saw something special in you. Although you have more responsibility, don’t let the power go to your head.

For some new supervisors, this may be their first time having direct reports or subordinates under them. The first one-on-one meeting may be intimidating, especially if the subordinates were previously their peers. Here is a sample script for a new supervisor to help establish her role and build trust with her team.

Questions for Initial One-on-One Meeting

Here is a list of questions that new supervisors can ask during their initial one-on-one meeting with their subordinates.

How are things going?

What do you see as your role in the company?

What are your biggest challenges in accomplishing your job?

What do you think our team does well?

What can our team improve?

What can I do better to support you as your supervisor?

What are your long-term goals?

Anything else you want to discuss?

Sample Script for One-on-One Meeting

Here is a sample script using those questions in an initial one-on-one meeting.

Supervisor: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I’m excited to start this new chapter as the team’s leader and I’m looking forward to working with you. I appreciate your kind words. As you know, I’ve been a part of this team for a while now and I’ve had the privilege of working alongside each of you as peers. Now that I’ve been promoted, my role has changed and I want to make sure we have a smooth transition.

Team Member: That makes sense.

Supervisor: To start, I just want to get your insight on things. So, how are things going?

Team Member: There are going well. We are really busy, but I think that it will get better since we hired the new receptionist.

Supervisor: That’s great to hear. I’m also excited to have the new receptionist get on board.

Can you tell me what you see as your role in the company?

Team Member: As a team member on the law firm admin front office team, I see my role as being a support system for the lawyers and the firm. This means I’m in charge of answering phone calls, greeting clients, managing schedules, and doing other administrative tasks. My goal is to make sure clients have a great experience when they come to the firm and to help the lawyers with anything they need.

Supervisor: I think you have a clear understanding of your role and I appreciate you wanting to give the clients a great experience.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in your role?

Team Member: I would say the biggest challenge for me is handling the fast pace of the work environment. The law firm is a busy place and there is so much that needs to be done. This can be overwhelming at times, but I try my best to stay organized and prioritize my tasks. Another challenge is the technology. It seems like we are always changing how we are supposed to input stuff into the software, and the software breaks frequently.

Supervisor: Yes, we are definitely fast-paced. I know that we have a lot going on, but I want you to know that if you are ever really overwhelmed or feel like you are about to break, please let me know so that we can get you some help. Do you feel like it’s too much for you to handle now?

Team Member: No. I think I’m ok now. But I’ll let you know if I ever feel like that in the future.

Supervisor: Ok. Great. I’ll also talk to our office administrator about the technology and see if there is anything we can do to help with that.

What do you think we do well as a team?

Team Member: I think we do a great job of working together to provide excellent support to the lawyers and the firm. We are all committed to making sure clients have a great experience and that all tasks are completed accurately and efficiently.

Supervisor: That is great to hear. What do you think we can do better as a team?

Team Member: One area is communication. I think we can work on making sure that everyone is on the same page and that information is being shared effectively.

Supervisor: I definitely want to work on that, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to meet with you like this.

Is there anything I can do to better support you?

Team Member: I think it would be great if there were opportunities for additional training and professional development. This will help me improve my skills and perform my job better. Also, if there are any tools or resources that could help make my job easier, I would love to know about them.

Supervisor: Opportunities for additional training and resources to make your job easier. Let me look into that and I’ll get back to you.

Finally, what are your long-term goals?

Team Member: I want to expand my knowledge of the legal industry and learn about different areas of law. I think I want to go to law school one day, but I’m not sure yet.

Supervisor: Oh, I didn’t know that you are thinking about law school. That is great. We can definitely schedule some time for you to chat with the attorneys to help you with that decision.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you want to talk about?

Team Member: No, not really. Thanks for taking the time to chat!

Supervisor: No, thank you! You are doing really great and I appreciate how you volunteered to help train the new receptionist. Keep up the great work!

By following these tips, new supervisors can establish a strong foundation of trust with their subordinates, which is essential for building a productive and positive working relationship.

I hope you enjoyed this article! Please clap, like, and re-share. Thank you so much! Your support is greatly appreciated. Sincerely — Robert Solano