HAVE YOU EVER PROMOTED THE WRONG PERSON INTO MANAGEMENT?

When we asked webinar participants this question, 76% replied yes. Please take advantage of the Webinar First Time Supervisors and Managers and the White Paper: Critical Transition: From Employee to Manager.

Key pointers

1. Promotion into management is a hiring decision.
2. Make sure they want the promotion more than you do.
3. Talk about expectations up front and what "outs" the company and employee have if these expectations are unmet. The last thing you want is to let go of a poor manager and lose a great employee in the process.
4. Make sure that these managers have a formalized training process (see the previous article).

Here's another chart from that webinar. The first hurdle for a new manager is "moving from friend to boss." The second is "learning how not to do the job of others."

Think about it this way: if you're paying an employee $30,000 a year ($15 an hour) and then promote them to management and pay them $50,000 a year ($25 an hour), every time they do $15-an-hour work, you lose value.

Although nobody is suggesting that friendships must end because of a promotion, becoming a boss is a fundamental shift that may require assistance. You can role-play scenarios with new managers to practice difficult conversations and boundary-setting.

Consider pairing this guidance with related operational policies; for practical information on hiring and workplace procedures, see Workplace Safety and Hiring Practices.

If you need help implementing training or policy changes, talk to an agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon should an employee receive formal manager training after promotion?

Training should begin immediately or within the first few weeks so new managers have the tools to handle role changes and team dynamics early on.

What if a promoted employee doesn’t want to manage former peers?

Have an honest conversation about preferences and alternatives; consider delaying the promotion or offering a different career path if management isn't a good fit.

How can a manager balance friendships without showing favoritism?

Encourage clear expectations, consistent policies, and documentation of decisions to ensure fairness and transparency.

What should formalized manager training include?

Training should cover performance management, delegation, conflict resolution, and how to set boundaries while maintaining team morale.