In-house trainingFrom Colleague to Manager

From Colleague to Manager: Lead the Team You Used to Be Part Of

Participants learn to reset relationships, delegate, set standards and handle a first tough conversation. They leave with a delegation brief, a one-page team ways-of-working and a plan for their first difficult conversation.

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From Colleague to Manager course cover
Key Outcomes
Reset relationships with former peers
e.g., one short conversation with each: what stays the same and what changes
Delegate with clear outcomes
e.g., what, why, by when, how much authority, and when you will check in
Set expectations and standards
e.g., a one-page agreement on reporting, deadlines and quality
Handle the first tough conversation
e.g., a repeated lateness issue handled with a clear, calm structure

Why teams need this

Most new supervisors are promoted for being good at the job. Then they manage former peers, do the work themselves instead of delegating, and avoid the first tough conversation. Gallup says "most companies promote workers into managerial positions because of tenure or performance, rather than talent", and notes that being a successful salesperson or engineer "is no guarantee that someone will be adept at managing others".

A Harvard study of new managers
Linda Hill traced nineteen new managers through their first year. She describes becoming a manager as "a profound psychological adjustment—a true transformation", and notes that "many fail to make the transition successfully". New managers must learn to "lead others rather than do the work themselves". Participants use this as a case to compare with their own experience.
Why it matters
Gallup's 2015 analysis found managers account for at least 70% of the variance in engagement scores across business units.
Situation-Behavior-Impact
The Center for Creative Leadership's SBI structure for feedback: describe the situation, the behaviour you observed directly, and its impact. Participants use it for the first tough conversation.
Group work and role-play
Teams list the tasks they struggle to let go of and write delegation briefs for them. Then they role-play a conversation with a former peer who is slow to accept the new reporting line.

Exercises use participants' own team, tasks and the people they now lead.

HRDC/HRDF training that builds confidence and drives growth.

Tell us what your team is facing. We will come back with a plan built around it.

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