Today I took my own advice.
Since I was in my early twenties, I’ve been in charge of someone at work. Over time, the staff grew and became more complex, requiring a management structure. Five people reporting to a manager can vary depending on who’s in and what they do. Twenty-five direct reports are too many, so in-between managers create a management structure.
Promoting someone from “peer” to management is fun and fraught. I told new “supervisors” that things don’t appear different, but they are.
Everyone knows you make more money.
You will have to support, coach and ultimately judge your former peers.
You now have different responsibilities (and pressures) than they do.
There’s more like some people will be jealous. They may try to undermine you.
Passive-aggressive. Malicious obeyance. Some will do what you said, not what you need, even if they can tell the difference.
The point is that things are different, and you might as well embrace it. Go back to your office/cubicle/space and rearrange the furniture. The context, the physical space, will communicate that things are different and that you not only embrace it but also make it happen.
Works every time.
In less than two weeks a contract that my company has had for more than 20 years will end. I am moving my life in a different direction. It doesn’t include big contracts. I like to think of the remaining work as “beer money.” Otherwise what was my work time will be filled with writing about whatever I want, studying what I want, and reading whatever I want.
Today, I rearranged the furniture in my home office—furniture installed more than 20 years ago. It was pretty good advice.