“I don’t get it,” an employee said.

“What is it you don’t get?” I asked.

“Alfred was a good guy. I worked alongside him for three years. We got along fine.  Then he got promoted to management and he has turned into a SOB.”

Employees often feel betrayed when a work friend becomes their manager. The peer-to-peer relationship was balanced.  Now, my former friend is the boss.  Employees become guarded in casual conversations because the relationship is out of balance—the manager has more power than an employee.

Employees may fear that previous conversations are held against them. Employees become especially concerned if they took shortcuts or skipped processes when the new manager was one of them. And some employees may expect special treatment from the new boss who was recently a work friend.

New-internally-promoted managers can make their transition to boss easier if they

• Call a team meeting and express performance and policy expectations. 
• Carefully avoid favoritism.
• Address performance and policy issues quickly and fully explain changes.
• Explain the necessity of balancing team needs and company objectives.
• Frame decisions around contribution to the mission.
• Make few promises and  keep all of them.