Handling relationships with former peers
Step 1 / 2·Name the change in the first two weeks
0/2 steps done
Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Name the change rather than ignoring it
- Handle someone who applied for the same role
- Recalibrate friendships within the team
Name the change in the first two weeks
Resolve the awkwardness rather than waiting for it to fade.
When you are promoted from within, everyone knows the relationship has changed but nobody wants to be the first to say so. The result is several awkward weeks in which both sides guess what the other is thinking.
The fix is that you go first, privately, with each person, in the first two weeks. Not a speech to the team — only a private conversation lets the other person speak honestly.
Do not promise 'nothing changes'
It sounds reassuring but it is not true, and the first time you make a hard decision it becomes a broken promise. Saying plainly what changes and what does not is far more credible.