5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkers

5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkers5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkersOut of all your coworkers who applied to a highly-coveted management position, you were chosen. So where does that leave your relationships with them now that you oversee the entire team?Heres what to keep in mind when managing former coworkersDont act like nothing happenedWhether your former peers (or you) like it or not, your dynamic is about to change - you owe it to your team to show them that you understand that.Levo says you that should be the one to tell them the news, before any company-wide email or announcement is released because feeling like the last one to know the news could strengthen potential resentment.Obviously, youll need company approval to make any kind of announcement, but if possible,you should tell your new employees privately, and you should keep the katechese clear, direct, simple, and relatable Youve been promoted, youre excited about this opportunity, and you know that this might create some awkward situations based on your current relationships. Dont overwhelm them with too much detail. Let it all sink in.Dont move too fast in the beginningMichael Watkins, the chairman of Genesis Advisers and author of The First 90 Days and Your Next Move,tells theHarvard Business Review that new managers should proceed with caution, but make it clear that youre going to act according to your new supervisory role.You are walking a bit of an edge. You dont want to come in as Alexander Haig and you dont want to act as a super-peer either, Watkins says, referring to Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Regans notoriously ambitious cabinet member.Come up with small decisions you can decide on pretty fast, and save the larger ones for when you have more experience and can get more perspective.Watkins reportedly cites creating a new team schedule, putting one-on-ones on the calendar and letting your new direct reports know how you envision future team communication as examples.Show your team some respect by hearing them outListening is a big part of good management. Sustain your teams trust by giving them the face time they deserve, and making koranvers that everyone has the resources necessary to succeed.Also be sure to answer new questions they have, and give them the names of people in HR who can answer questions you dont know the answer to, should they come up.Back up - give them spaceMonsters career expert, Vicki Salemi, writes on the site about how she distanced herself from her former coworkers during casual discussions once she became their manager.When there was leftover food in the conference rooms I joined in and we chatted, but I only went for a few minutes and then made a quick escape, Salemi wrote. I understood that everybody needs time to vent about the boss or work, so I tried to let my employees have some privacy in their social lives. Also, I knew that being too friendly would make my job harder later.Salemi sa id she also changed the amount of information she shared with her former coworkers once she became privy to the new management-level info.Its extremely important to create boundaries, she explains.Develop a strategyJeff babo, who spent 13 years as a Navy SEAL and went on to write Navigating Chaos How To Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations and hostThe Chaos Cast Podcast Leadership Lessons from Chaos, says setting yourself achievable benchmarks is an important first step as a new manager.Take a moment (or two) to consider two things 1) what you need to do and 2) who you need to be in the next 30, 60 or 90 days to be successful. What will be considered a win for your role?Boss writes in Forbes.Note that this isnt necessarily a win for you, personally (i.e. feeding the ego), but rather a win for the role and responsibilities youre expected to fulfill as a professional, he writes.However, dont succumb to the trap of making changes for changes sake, just because you feel like you need to shake things up to prove your worth, Boss says.Consider your relationship with your own manager at the organization, and how youd like to draw from what works - and avoid what doesnt work as well.Move forward with confidence, but dont overdo it.