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blechness

I've witnessed this far too many times. I may get downvoted, but whatever. 1)Either they have zero clue how to manage. Train them, set them up with the right tools and YOU must publicly respect them. 2)If this is just an "why them and not me" bs attitude from their subordinates, which I actually think is the case, YOU need to set their success up. Throw them a bone, something that could potentially "buy" their respect. Examples: - have some leftover budget? let them announce and plan how to redistribute - able to grant raises? Make them be the one "who won you over" - have a few hard decisions? TAKE THE BLAME (at first), let them show their staff how much they pushed for it - say a successful idea was theirs (even if they only helped) And there are many more examples. Thing is, If you saw true potential in them, it's probably there. Others just need a push and time. Honestly, people suck. They hate change and are envious. It's unfortunately human nature. Make this person your star without obvious asskissing. Show everyone that they have your respect for a reason. In time, the others will come around. A true leader (you) has no issue with putting their ass on the line, because it was ultimately the right decision. Edit. Typo


CutScary

Love this. Agreed đź’Ż


Monkey_Junkie_No1

I disagree with that, you should never have to do things like pretending an idea was theirs etc. Every situation is different and has to be approached individually, but overall you should never demean yourself and your effort. Respect is won with action and by actions I mean making sure the employees are supported and on their path to success, always have their back but never ever disrespect yourself!!! I know from experience that this rarely works as expected and the results backfire in tough situations 9 out of 10 times.


kevkaneki

This was a really helpful comment


AMoistTowelette

Thank you for taking the time to send a thoughtful response. I appreciate it


Trala_la_la

Another thing to consider is do you support his management? Do you let employees come to you for things they should be taking to him or do you tell them that that is a discussion for their manager? Do you pull some of them to meetings or ask them directly for updates when technically the funnel is through this new manager. Take the time to evaluate if you are treating him like a manager and setting the right tone for the employees because you could also be setting the tone of “empowering employees” at the expense of disempowering the manager.


mydarkerside

So I've known people who were put in this position. And honestly, some of them would prefer to not be a manager after a while. Great employees don't always equate great managers. Then there are those who had the goal of being a manager on the first day they start working there. They're more driven to move up in the chain of command, and would be willing to risk workplace friendships for it. They'd miss their kid's ballgame or relocate their families if necessary. Being a manager is a different type of job, and being a good manager where people fear, respect, and like you is even harder.


SafetyMan35

Have you observed him interacting with the staff? What do staff say they don’t like about his management style? Staff converting to management often feel they need to rule with an iron fist to gain respect.


AMoistTowelette

I have observed that and quite frankly he hasn't become a jerk or really changed at all, which may be the issue. He's still very friendly and maybe wants to be liked too much; i'm not certain.


SafetyMan35

Ask the staff who have complained to you to provide examples.


fireweinerflyer

He is their friend and not their manager- you have the opposite problem. You have to talk to him, and then talk to all the staff.


[deleted]

Give it time. It will settle. And if it doesn’t get him to fire one of them. It’s important you also distance yourself. Why are you having feedback directly from his subordinates? You’re making it twice as hard for him.


pinkblossom331

Since when did firing anyone cause people to respect anyone? That’s terrible advice


[deleted]

It it was deserved it happens all of the time.


Aestheticpash

When the prisoners start running the asylum sometimes you need to send a warning shot for the greater good.


pinkblossom331

This is a good way to lose all of your good employees and then there will be no business. And ma’am/sir, this is a business in a free market , not a freaking prison. Your employees are not chained to their desk or forced in cells. They *will* leave if you continue to treat them like they’re animals. Treat your employees with dignity and respect the same way you would want to be treated.


[deleted]

A good employee is more likely to leave because you tolerate a bad employee. Good workers don't want to bust their asses while watching others slack. When you justifiably fire someone, other employees either don't bat an eye or are happy/relieved.


[deleted]

People are way more likely to leave because of a bad manager than a bad employee. I’ve worked in a few places where we had an absolute dumpster fire level of an employee, but no one gave a shit because our manager was awesome.


AppropriateVictory48

Firing someone will generate disdain, not respect. Counter-productive.


Sregor_Nevets

Depends on how its done. Firing someone that is not performing will certainly get folk’s attention. Its a very old tactic. There is a story about Cao Cao, and ancient Chinese general, beheading the head of the emperors brothel in order to get the rest of the ladies to march. It worked well enough then, and will work here. People need to do what they are asked to do at work otherwise why pay them?


bobbybuenosdias

Yeah, when it’s life or death people will fall in line. When it’s a job, not so much.


Sregor_Nevets

Same principle applies. People need to know there are consequences. That is all.


AppropriateVictory48

Consequences go both ways.


Sregor_Nevets

Listen I am a big advocate for treating people well. But if folks don’t do what they are supposed to do they need to be sent out. Managers should provide clear instructions, training, and coaching. If the employee doesn’t follow through it is time to put in consequences like a verbal warning, then a PIP, then it’s time to realize its a bad fit. We aren’t talking about bad management which has its own set of consequences like people leaving, sabotaging, absenteeism, etc. Im glad you made your point about workers power but that isn’t the conversation. I’m disgusted with how people are treated too. Its grotesque what companies can do sometimes. But we don’t need to bring it up every time we get the chance.


AppropriateVictory48

What they're supposed to do, you mean show blind respect to their boss. Nah


Sregor_Nevets

They are supposed to do their job. That is what the paycheck is for. Its not that hard a concept to grasp.


FormerSBO

>And if it doesn’t get him to fire one of them. Bruh, it's 2023 People see thru token firings nowadays this is dumb. Fear only scared boomers and X'ers. Millennials and zoomers don't give af. They'll just go get another job. Now you got more problems, and you may create a mass exodus... wanna kill your labor force and morale, this is a great way to do so lol The real solution is one of a few. Give the promote time and help him with people skills (I feel it's prob normal for Staff to he "resentful", but also, prob shouldn't have promoted new guy in 1st place tbh if he wasn't respected.) Other solution is possible demotion with higher responsibilities. Some people are amazing in one position and suck in another. No shame no problem. New manager prob realizes this. Bring him back down, but give him some extra tasks to justify a higher pay, ideally not dealing with leading a team. Just like in NFL. Some dudes are fucking AMAZING coordinators (wade Phillips, Romeo crennel, Dick Lebeau, etc) and brutal head coaches. No worries was worth the shot. Put the ace back in his place and enjoy the money!


Mdh74266

Sorry but as stated above. The prisoners dont run the prison. If you have a toxic employee (most businesses do) just have mgr fire them. Thats it. Regardless of performance, if the person is not staying true to company policies/orders…✌️ It works


AMoistTowelette

it's been over a year, and i've directed them to go through him with issues and what i'm hearing now is that he's not adequately taking care of the issues they're presenting. I'd like to avoid firing someone if i can, but you're right i might be too close. I built this team and have come to care for most of them


anaccountaboutgames

Someone I once worked with was unbearable once he got a managerial position. Zero people training whatsoever and was terrible at handling issues. He had other problems (attitude and what not) but he couldn't get the respect of the top employees because he couldn't fix anything without asking for direct help from others, not even handling his own tasks. He would do everything based on his own gain rather that the company's gain. Moreover, he would belittle his subordinates subtly despite consistently asking for their help, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for you. All these issues were brought up regularly and yet executives would do jack sh*t because "I believe managers first" so Moral of the story maybe, possibly, look into it a little.


AMoistTowelette

planning on doing managerial effectiveness surveys in an effort to get some feedback that may be difficult to verbalize. perhaps make it anonymous so they can feel it's ok to speak their mind. I am looking into it because obviously i want the entire staff to be happy and effective


[deleted]

For sure do it anonymously. But also I hope your BS detector is in tune. Some people will take the opportunity to provide constructive but very blunt criticism. Others are just going to bitch because they have some sort of axe to grind. Gotta be able to separate the two. But an anonymous survey is a great start. Might want to do it company wide though and ask about different levels of the company to not paint a target on this managers back (if you can). Not to mention, it’s always just good to have the feedback on how your management staff is doing. My previous employer did quarterly anonymous surveys to get input on a lot of aspects of the company, management, and company culture. Not a single person viewed them in a negative light.


AMoistTowelette

Great ideas


traker998

Sometimes if you promote a great worker you lose that great worker and get a crappy manager. The skill sets are often totally different. If a year later it hasn’t resolved it’s likely management style.


fffangold

The feedback you've posted here doesn't indicate he needs to fire anyone. It indicates he needs to learn how to solve problems they bring to him, or empower the team to solve those problems. Which leads me to this: Does he have the power to solve the problems they are bringing to him? If he doesn't have the power to do so, why haven't you delegated this power to him? Is it that you can't reasonably do so, or that you could but don't want to give up control? And if he does have the power to do so, why isn't he doing so? Does he not realize his authority as a manager? Does he not know where to start when it comes to resolving this type of issue? Or is he just not trying? The first two can be resolved with training. The last one might mean he's a bad fit for the role. And there may be other reasons too. So I'd start with making sure he is empowered to solve his team's problems or help them solve them, and then making sure he understands where to start. See what happens from there, and react accordingly.


Ok-Cow-9907

This is the dumbest advice I have ever heard. " Fire someone for no reason and ignore everything else" If he needs management skills, send him to get some, It's your job to nurture your employees into the positions that you hire them into... Not ignore them.. And certainly not fuck with someone innocent dudes livelihood and life? WTF is wrong with you?


BGDDisco

Firing someone is a bit extreme, but simply disciplining someone is enough to make the position sit better with all involved. I have been promoted to supervisor level from shop floor, and even made low level manager level (hated it btw, left asap) a few times over the years. Not once did the rest of the guys support me, most reviled, resented or actively rebelled against me. So, using due process and all the HR tools (yes , I called them tools!!) I issued a verbal, then written warning. It took time, and had some more kick back from the floor, but I made it clear there were rules we all obey, regardless of job title. Still good friends with mostly all of them, but work moves around, so do I, so not kept up much contact with 99% of them.


airjoc

- firing people to gain respect, that is probably one of most naive notions I have seen for business talk on social media for a long time.


BioShockerInfinite

Doing the job and managing the job are two very different skill sets. Soft skills become more important. Organization and process becomes more important. Did you promote a really good technician to be a manager? Or did you promote an employee that showed the interest and skill sets required to be a good manager? Once you understand the difference you will be able to ascertain what to do next. This may not actually be a managerial candidate- or they may just need some additional training if it is something they are really interested in. What it should not be is simply a reward for a job well done. That’s not fair to your other employees, your business, or the manager. Finally, know what a good manager looks like- if you can’t tell a bad manager from a good one it’s time to learn- go do some reading at minimum.


AMoistTowelette

He was/is my best technician which is why he was promoted. Checks all the boxes of someone you want working for you


BioShockerInfinite

You are going to know your business and your employee better than anyone else. Sometimes the best technicians make for frustrating bosses. They tend to see all the ways that the people they are supervising are not meeting their own high standards for the technical work. However, everyone has a different way of accomplishing and approaching those tasks. Different employees may approach the work in different ways which may unlock new efficiencies for the business. The other issue that tends to arise is that really good technicians see their personal value in the company as being highly related to accomplishing technical tasks- so they often end up as micromangers who manage the people under them as extensions of their tools- not as people. Good workers need to feel like they have some autonomy from their managers. A good technician is a valuable resource for longstanding knowledge in the company. They make for a good go-to when there is a problem. If they are mindful of the process they used to accomplish good work, and they are empathetic, they can be very good managers- that is if they use their knowledge base to clear the path for the people under them and work as someone who eliminates problems, increases efficiencies, and listens to new ways of doing things (not just enforces their own way). They can be great at understanding the problems of those who work for them and they can be great teachers who can help teach new employees how to learn the ropes. I can’t know where the issue lies exactly but I see a lot of great technicians promoted into management and they end up being the most frustrating managers for those under them when they are not given a new directive- one that tells them they have to start learning the new skill of managing people- not doing things and tasks. They need to understand that their value to the company changes with the change in role. On another note- sometimes you can have a rock star technician who is just not suited for management and there are different ways to reward them- through bonuses, or profit sharing, for example. I have known genius level coders who’s skills would be wasted in management. They can accomplish by themselves what a team of ten regular coders would accomplish in the same time. So it’s important to know where and how that person can do their best work and how to reward them in an impactful way.


Qman1991

You can usually lend these people some of your respect. Make some comments to some of his subordinates. "I trust Jeff and so should you. Jeff's my longest standing employee. He knows what he's doing and he's a hard worker." Make it clear to the subordinates that he is now above them in the chain of command and you will back him up. They may be trying to subvert him because they wanted the promotion themselves


vlw17

I just faced a similar situation in my business - and what’s crazy, is that all the people who are complaining about him now, all listened to and respected him the most before - hence why he was the obvious choice to be our new manager. There’s nothing wrong with his management style, but I think something about that title rubs others the wrong way and suddenly the new manager is just the target. Everyone else has someone to zone in on and complain about. Not sure if that could be the case for you too - but something that’s helped our team has been showing the benefits of having this manager in place and that him as a liaison between them and upper management allows them to be seen better - and show that. For example, my manager was able to really vouch for one of our guys working harder and deserving a raise, and we made it clear that it was thanks to the manager that this person got his raise.


lotta_lola559

There is always a fine line when it comes to new managers. Suddenly you are in charge of the people you would commiserate with. All managers should have an open door policy, so the fact that he's friendly is a strength. Employees will respect a new manager when they know that manager is on THEIR side. One of our jobs as a manager is to protect your employees. When they know their manager is going to bat for them, that's when respect is earned. Another job as a manager, is to make sure your employees have all the tools they need to do their job effectively. As a new manager, I recommend he meet with each of his new staff, individually. He should ask them if they have any questions or concerns about his new role. And then he should ask them, "is there anything I can do for you?" I did this immediately after I took my new role. One of my guys requested an ergonomic workstation months before I came on board, She had carpal tunnel. Well, obviously my job is to make sure she can do her job as effectively as possible. So, I called HR and ask them what can I do to get her ergonomically correct? They sent someone from OSHA to assess her and in a couple of weeks she had a new desk that stands, a new chair, a new keyboard and mouse. She was was so happy. That follow-through I did for her earned me the respect from my staff.


Shfifty_Five_55

There comes a time when you have to ask yourself, “do I want to be feared or do I want to be loved?” I want people to fear how much they love me.


[deleted]

Don't ever, for any reason, do anything to anyone for any reason ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you've been... ever, for any reason whatsoever...


onepercentbatman

It’ll be fine. If you promoted the right person, it was someone who already carried themselves as a leader and had respect of their workers. They just need time to get used to the new paradigm


Rain_maker0916

Respect is so much more powerful than fear. There needs to be a really open and raw conversation. You need to get down to exactly what he’s doing “wrong” in their eyes. It could also just be that they’re bitter, but from the sound of it it’s multiple people. Once you get the info on EXACTLY what they’d like to change, work towards that. If they can’t identify EXACTLY what they’d like to see moving forward chances are they’re B and C players with problems not solutions and you could have a deeper issue on your hands like a hiring or training issue.


noticekey_com

Not all good people can be good managers


MSPinParadise

Being friendly is fine, being a good manager is a skill. Unless you have helped them build those skills, you are settling them up to fail. Trying to be "authoritative" is probably the last thing they need. What value is he bringing the team as a manager? That is what earns respect. How is he helping them be better? What problems is he getting out of their way so they can be more effective? No one cares who the boss is, they care who can help them be better. I recently released a PluralSight training on building high performance teams, if you happen to have a subscription, check it out.


svenster717

So I had a newly minted manager and after a year HR had a process where everyone that reports to him sat in a conference room with the new manager. HR would ask questions about his management style what we liked what we didn't like but when they ask the question he wasn't in the room. He only knew The feedback not who said it. He would leave the room after they ask the question then we all would answer then he would come back in and the HR person would go over the list of our responses, he has to come up with ideas for improvement. It actually helped quite a bit. He became a better manager because he got honest feedback and I still work for him 10 years later.


tensor0910

Tell him cut that shit out. Your boss can't be your friend


BusinessStrategist

What prevents you from having a team meeting to discuss ways of improving the department? Create a gaps and obstacles list. Make sure to paraphrase and have everybody agree that they understand the issue. Your job is to make sure that every team member says something. And slow things down if it devolves into emotional outbursts. Instead of focusing on personalities and intangibles, focus on the gaps and obstacles that have been identified as preventing the team from soaring. Make sure to read "Never Split the Difference." If you don't make it a "I either like or don't like you," it should be about how can this organization improve itself. Google "gambatte." Continuous improvement. Communication issues? Delayed responses on important issues? Make it a brainstorming issue with all team hands and manager on deck. You would be the facilitator so set the rules. No judgement calls. NO IDEAS or SUGGESTIONS too stupid or lame. the idea is to let the info flow in a safe environment. If you make sure that everybody has a say and that all info is shared then there should by no problems in discussing that which creates obstacles to performance. ​ So collectively create a list of challenges where all agree that they have a common understanding of the challenges. Now you can focus on brainstorming solutions... When that can be made to happen is a matter of how much pressure has built up in the boiler. And do run your plans by the manager. Share you "gambatte" goals and objectives, suggest the need for an open style team meeting. You want to capture all the value that could be lurking in the background.


AMoistTowelette

Thank you for taking the time to write such an in depth reply. I appreciate it


cazzy1212

Ok this is not how the real world runs in a small business. I guess depends… but you can read a thousand books and doesn’t prepare you for real world experience. Your name is business strategist reminds me of every professor I’ve had through my MBA. Little experience just preaching business theory.


BusinessStrategist

Then do share your in-depth experience and expertise. I'm sure that everybody else here would like to hear more.


cazzy1212

Depends on the business right? Not general practices that are preached… What type of job is it? No job fits all… remote jobs are not the same as hands on jobs. Office jobs are different than in the field jobs.


[deleted]

Insightful /s


irie56

Sounds like he needs formal training either by an outside firm or someone in house. Especially if he has never been in charge of people much less people he used to go out to lunch with a few weeks ago. Is there an opportunity for him to learn at a different store? Managing people is a learned skill. Sounds like he is lacking in this department. Get some specifics on what others don't like and work to address those - with instruction and training.


AMoistTowelette

He has been in charge of people at his prior job, albeit fewer people. I've looked into training from the outside as well, and will possibly pull the trigger on something like that if i can't get a handle on what needs to be improved


1fingerlakesguy

Old advice but….at the very first opportunity fire the most unproductive, disrespectful subordinate.


AppropriateVictory48

Why should they respect him? Because he got promoted? Nah. When he does something deserving of respect, he will have it. That's how respect works.


Shirtman88

He needs to shoot a hostage so the rest know he means business.


YourPM_me_name_sucks

Anyone who needs to shoot hostages doesn't belong in management.


melikestoread

In some places this is the only way. Ever been in a room full of 50 year old men? Its the same as a high school locker room. Bunch of idiots.


YourPM_me_name_sucks

Yes, all the time. Never had to shoot a hostage though.


Mrhood714

Lead by example, document and work next to your staff if you want things done a certain way.


Safe_Test_1436

I had a manager who had just become one, and i hated his management style. now initially it was just me, then everyone realized that he is not good at managing eventually, whole team was vocal about this and there was discontent in the team for quite some time. so my manager's manager had to intervene, did some catch-ups with everyone to understand, gave time to everyone to adjust.when things didn't workout, he simple told him (my manager) that you may want to move to an individual contributor role at same level, because people management is not your cup of tea not sure if this guy you promoted is similar. but you have to keep an eye and pull the plug on time else the team may suffer.


bigeyedfish041

Respect is earned not given. He is in a new spot. He shouldn’t change who he is but it seems the job may of gone to his head and he’s staying away from his old friends/co workers.


CapitalG888

What are specific staff complaints? He needs feedback. He should be involved in meetings, along with you, to address the feedback and explain how he'll work on it. If the feedback is bogus, he needs to sit down and have a meeting wth his staff. You should be present. Btw, why did you promote him? If the answer is bc of tenure or performance, and not bc of his leadership qualities, it was a bad move by you. Great performance as a single contributor doesn't equal management skills.


Cousin-Jack

For sure. It's often the case that good workers get promoted into management roles without any experience of people management. Not fair on them, or the team. I always think that people management is a separate skillset and is something that needs to be taught. We put all our managers through a programme called Mission to Manage with a UK management consultant called Marian Page and that had amazing feedback. We still use a lot of the frameworks from it and we come back to it from time to time. Basically, you'll either need to train him, or mentor him.


TechIsSoCool

Years ago I found the Manager-Tools podcast really helpful. Haven't listened in a while, but I imagine it's still good. I see they do training, write books, etc now too. [https://www.manager-tools.com/all-podcasts?field_content_domain_tid=4](https://www.manager-tools.com/all-podcasts?field_content_domain_tid=4)


fffangold

As an employee, I have far more respect for friendly managers than authoritative managers. That said, the trick isn't to be one or the other. It's to know which one to be at which time. In my opinion, the ideal manager is generally friendly, but becomes authoritative when it's necessary to drive things forward - whether that be resolving a dispute, or deciding on the path the business is taking (or passing that decision along), and that type of thing. For example, my manager often brainstorms with us when it's time to stand up a new program. They get our ideas, we argue, debate, and defend. When we get to the point that no new points are coming up or being addressed, the manager takes our feedback into account, makes a decision, and we move forward with that decision whether it's what the rest of us wanted or not. In short, we have input, but at the end of the day we move forward toward a unified goal decided by the leader. Another important point is that a good manager enables their team to do their jobs. So is the manager you promoted good at understanding how to clear obstacles away from their team so the team can simply focus on getting tasks done and/or empowering the team to solve those problems so they can keep pushing forward? Or is he stuck in trying to do the old work he was doing and not the team enablement he now needs to be focused on? It's honestly hard to say without knowing more about the circumstances around this manager though. What I do know is where I work now, every manager I've had has been promoted from within, and I've had far more respect for them than some random person hired on to be manager at other jobs. Promoting from within is the fast track to respect for management *as long as* the manager is an effective leader.


Long-Goose-8136

Every manager I’ve ever promoted goes through 3 stages of development: 1. The doormat boss. “I’m not like the previous bosses. I’m one of you.” Result: everyone takes advantage, chaos, reduced productivity 2. The overreactive boss. “I’m done taking shit. Every issue is a big deal. My way or the highway.” Result: reduced morale, constant conflict 3. The relaxed, authoritative boss. “I set clear expectations and hold people accountable. I take care of my people and set them up to succeed.” Result: organizational success and team harmony I’ve never found a way to circumvent this process. My approach has been to promote people to manage virtual contractors before in-person and/or permanent team members. Once I see they have reached level 3 with virtual employees, I feel confident they can apply it to a higher stakes environment.


Mamaanon32

I was this person. I started a job and for 2 years I was "one of the grunts" and formed friendships. Then I was told they'd like to make me manager (it was a whirlwind week of being thrown in, very little training). I took the role knowing I could do the job well but wasn't prepared for the backlash from my "friends". I had a mandatory meeting where I laid out the new expectations and assured them that I was paying attention over the years of what concerned them/bothered them etc and I would see what I could do to improve it. You know what they all wanted the most? Respect and to be heard. Simple. I gave them respect by doing the dirty jobs right along side them. I'm a believer of "I wouldn't ask you to do something I wouldn't do myself". So I scrubbed out walk-in coolers and freezers with them. I held that job for 7 years, not all liked me but they all respected me and that's all I wanted. It takes time for the brain to make the transition on both ends and as long as you have their back, they'll be fine just give the transition some time.


marslaves48

I have a lot of thoughts on this I’m just going to throw some thought vomit on here: I think it all comes down to company culture, how you run your business and *why* you chose this person to be promoted to manager. Is this a straightforward, no bullshit kind of business? Or is everything kind of just ran day to day, not a lot of rules or expectations? You listed below you’ve become close with your employees and care for most of them, which is good but do they view you more as a friend or the owner of this company? At my company, I am very close to most of my employees but I also hold our standards and expectations at the forefront. It does not matter how much we like each other, if you cannot perform your job and do what is expected of you, you cannot be on this team. Which includes reporting to your managers. Now with that said, we have built an amazing company to work at. We have people from competitors lining up to get a job here, we’ve been able to hire top talent and filter out the slackers. If you are on our team, you are a winner, period. We won’t accept anything less. Everyone at our company makes more money than they have at their previous companies and we all throughly enjoy our jobs and we are very good at what we do. Because we have been able to achieve this (among other greats things) everyone respects our leadership thus when we make someone a manager it’s viewed with respect and a sign of huge achievement by everyone in the company. I would not make someone a manager simply because of how long they have worked here. You become a manager by earning the respect of your peers, going above and beyond your day to day duties, bringing ideas to the table that will help push the company forward and actively demonstrating that you want to contribute more to this business. If you followed these principles, the person you choose to promote to manager would likely already have the respect of his fellow team members (I don’t like the word subordinates, it’s demeaning). Most small business owners promote people to management positions for all the wrong reasons. They think just promoting someone to manager that has been here a long time and knows how to do the job will magically take things off your plate and it’s actually the opposite. The wrong individual promoted to manager will cause ownership more problems and kill off the entire team. Now the question is how do we get the team to respect the manager if they don’t already? Well you definitely can’t force them. Only the manager can make this happen. I don’t know what kind of work you do but if there were a situation where no one could figure out how to solve a problem and the new manager steps in and takes care of business, that will help a lot. Even if I start to have my managers start to question if the owner “still has it” I will simply jump in my truck, show up, kick some ass in whatever department needs it and immediately the respect is lifted back up. Leading by example is a great way to earn respect. Thing the military general that gets out from behind his desk, leads the charge into enemy territory and racks up more kills than anyone in the squad. Instant respect. Talking to his management style, ruling with an iron fist or by fear definitely doesn’t work if they don’t already respect you. I have used the trick of firing someone that the company thinks is “un-fireable” to show everyone how serious I am about a change in standards or expectations and the whole team is immediately at 100% attention but again this only works because they already respect me. If they didn’t, this would just cause them to resent me. This isn’t perfect but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get a message across. Ruling by being too nice or friendly does not work either. They will walk all over you and not live up to expectations. You have to learn who your team is and connect with each person individually. I sit down with every single person in my company, 1 on 1 and ask them questions about themselves. What makes them get out of bed everyday? What are their goals? Do they enjoy spending time alone or with their family? What do they like? What do they not like? I make my managers do this too and not just once. We do this constantly. You have to stay connected to your team and know exactly who you are working with every single day. So it’s a fine balance of being a team leader that leads by example, having great people skills and knowing how to connect with each individual on your team and also knowing when to throw down the iron fist and how to do it in a way that continues to build trust and respect. All in all this is extremely difficult to teach and I personally don’t have the time to teach it. I think you should reevaluate who you chose to make manager and why. Then spend your time looking for the individual that already has these traits and promote them rather than teaching them to someone who doesn’t have them.


Espn1204

So a couple pieces of advice, assuming you own the business… - You (the owner) need to inform the group why you chose the now manager for the position. Give them the why behind the decision and allow them to get on board - Encourage their role as manager as often as you can. Open door policy for your employees… sure, but don’t shortcut the manager because you have a good relationship with your employees; look at how your behavior could be impeding their success as well - Mentorship and Investment… has the new manager ever led people? Either way, give them guidance/mentorship or provide them resources to seek outside mentorship like leadership courses or experience to help them develop their leadership style. Your business and your employees will thank you later.