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From Chapter 1 UNDERSTANDING WHO IS ON THE CURRENT TEAM Managing Former Peers The first issue for many new managers is managing those who just days ago were at the same level as them. Several issues crop up when a person is promoted to manage people who were formerly peers. They commonly fall into the following three categories:
• Managing friends
• Managing nonallies
• Managing experienced salespeople Before delving into the challenges, let's first take a look at some of the positives. The new sales manager already knows many of the sales representatives' strengths and weaknesses. This is a tremendous asset when it comes to delegation. This also gives the new manager early insights when preparing a plan for the training and development of team members. In addition, the newly appointed sales manager already has a certain amount of rapport with the team. This allows for open discussions about issues. A good rapport also creates a supportive foundation for problem solving and achieving goals. As a new manager, you already possess certain management and leadership characteristics and have the backing of the management team. This enhances your credibility with both management and your sales staff. Furthermore, as a new manager, you have overnight gained "position power." Whether you now have a new corner office, or you remain in the same compact space, the fact is that power has shifted. At the same time, without having extensive management experience and practice under your belt, making the transition to management is a significant adjustment. Even areas that seemed very basic and straightforward before will require extra effort and attention. Here are some of the core categories that touch on this transition phase of your new job as a sales manager. Managing Friends Many management consultants and psychology of management pundits suggest that any friendship should be set aside after a hierarchical change. The logic is that it is difficult to discipline and affectively give direction if you are too close to your subordinate. Also, the inherent premise in friendship is that both people are more or less on par with one another. Now the simple act of changing your title can change perceptions and emotions. Friendships are complicated even before someone is promoted, so when business and money are involved, this can only further complicate any issues or tensions. On the other hand, friendships won't necessarily complicate working relationships. If handled correctly, the closeness of the relationship could lead to more positive results for all parties involved. One of the mistakes people make with friends is to confuse work and personal issues. This can sometimes lead to the manager giving advice to their friends on issues that are unrelated to the job, yet the line is still blurred. Giving advice because you care is part of being a friend. But a boss is in a position of power in the relationship. Giving advice to a friend (now a subordinate) may suddenly seem like you are judging him. Even when you are giving advice directly related to the job, it can be difficult to do so; if the feedback is negative, she may feel that your perception of her has changed negatively. If this starts to happen, it hurts the team, the friendship, and the company. This problem can be avoided by proper goal setting and relating feedback to the goal. If you set goals properly and both parties accept them, the manager won't appear to be judging the friend. The friend's achievement will be measured by whether or not she reaches the goal. Another challenge early on in management is dealing with weaknesses of a friend and/or former peer. How does a sales manager approach this person to correct a problem without destroying the relationship? Here the manager must specifically define and isolate the negative behavior and focus on job and the performance requirements, not on the personality. For example, you might be tempted to say, "Sally, what's with all the comp