Promoted Over Your Former Manager: Now What?
I met someone this week who’d just been promoted to manager. The unusual bit? They’ll be managing the person who had been their manager — someone now stepping down into a role on the same team.
That’s quite a change for both of them.
What’s the key challenge?
The newly promoted manager has to lead someone who knows the job, the team and perhaps their own working habits very well. The person stepping down has to adjust to a new reporting relationship with someone they used to manage. Even when everyone wants the change to go smoothly, there can be a few moments of uncertainty.
Who makes which decisions now? How much should the new manager lean on their former manager’s experience? And what happens when they disagree?
Setting expectations.
It can help to anticipate those challenges early, rather than hoping everyone will work them out as they go.
A straightforward conversation might cover:
- What decisions sit with the new manager?
- Where would the former manager’s knowledge be most useful?
- How will they handle a difference of opinion?
- What does each person need from the other to make the transition work?
The new manager doesn’t need to prove themselves by changing everything or pretending they know more than they do. And the person stepping down shouldn’t have to guess what their new role looks like. Although the previous manager has accepted the new role knowing who their manager will now be. They didn’t have to do that.
Clarity and respect will matter more than titles in helping both people find their feet.
Transition is rarely easy.
There may still be awkward moments. That’s understandable. The working relationship has changed, and it takes time to settle into a new shape.
A promotion like this isn’t just a new job for one person. It’s a transition for the whole team. Give it an honest conversation, clear expectations and a little patience, and everyone has a better chance of moving forward together.
