# Workplace Surgery: transitioning to management - **Episode:** [120](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/120.md) (2024-08-06) - **Type:** workplace-surgery - **Tags:** management, career, leadership - **Time:** 37:11–42:37 (start 2231s) - **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/120?t=2231](https://truthliesandwork.com/120?t=2231) --- [37:11] Leanne Elliott: Oh, I enjoy a tone [37:13] Al Elliott: Yeah. I'm interested to hear whether you pick it up straight. Well, I'm sure you will pick it up, but interested whether you address it straight away. I've been at the same firm. So this is the person writing in. I've been at the same firm for a few years now and have a great relationship with my coworkers. There is a management role coming up that I know I would be great at. I would slay, as the Gen Z say. But I'm worried that my— [37:32] Leanne Elliott: He got raised. He got management raised [37:34] Al Elliott: Management raised. I wonder if you can have management raised [37:37] Leanne Elliott: I'll look on TikTok later [37:38] Al Elliott: You do that. You're going, you're going, yeah, text your nephews. Or they're probably on Snapchat, they don't even reply to texts anyway. So this promotion's coming up, this person thinks they're going to be great at it, but they're worried that their co-workers will struggle if they went from their equal to their boss. Red flag number 1. So this OP says, can I do anything in the next few weeks before the promotion is hopefully announced to make them accept that I will be giving them orders from now on. Oh, I thought you might, um, I thought this might make you chuckle. Um, OP, sit down, get a cup of tea and a biscuit because I think you're about to be schooled [38:17] Leanne Elliott: I think you need— I think the best thing you can do over the next few weeks is shift your attitude and mindset, being honest. You're not ordering these people around. You are still their equal. You're not superior. Um, that's not what management is. You will, you, you will be the person that is doing some of the grunt work some days because it allows your team to focus on, on more value-add activities. You're going to be the person that's going to take the hit if things go wrong. Um, you're the person they're gonna blame if things go wrong. It's such an Especially that middle manager. We talked about this with, um, with Kate Luzio, didn't we? That power middle. But it's also really tricky because you're getting it from all angles, um, all sides, all levels. You are the person that, that will ultimately be held, held accountable, whether you think that's right or not. That's just the way middle management works. Um, I, I would reflect more on why you want this promotion, why you want the, the management role. Is it the role or is it the pay bump? [39:15] Al Elliott: Yeah [39:17] Leanne Elliott: Or is it indeed the power? Um, power is, is— power is not it. The best you can hope for as a manager that will give you influence is respect, and that is earned, and that's going to be earned on the job. And I think I've said before, you know, you're only as good as your last day as a manager. Um, if you mess up one day, um, then it will basically take away most of all the good stuff you've done before, um, consistency is, is really, really key, particularly with, um, with millennials and Gen Z. Um, yeah, I'm being honest, I think some deep reflection is required for this in terms of the role, in terms of the types of manager you want to be, the types of manager you look up to yourself. Maybe just reflect on that. Who's the best manager you've had? And what behaviors did they Did they show that you like, that you respect, that you responded to really positively and helped you to do your work and do your work well? Then think about somebody who wasn't so great, like the worst manager you've ever had, and write down the behaviours that you didn't like, why those behaviours were unproductive for you, were demotivating for you. And just try and maybe think in terms of then the behaviours that you would want to adopt, the ones that you believe would be motivating, just as a starting point. Being honest, I think if you do get this promotion, coaching would be a really good route for you. Probably some management training would also be, be helpful, because it sounds like at this point you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a manager. Um, and approaching it the way you're speaking about it, your colleagues won't accept you. And they will not take your orders [41:02] Al Elliott: I see. I knew that you, as soon as I said that, I knew which route you're going to go down and you absolutely did. Um, yeah, it's, it's just as, as Leanne says, it's a fundamental misunderstanding of what actually management is. Um, something Leanne taught me is that basically sort of almost like it's an upturned pyramid in that the people who are the managers at the bottom of the pyramid and then the, the broad part of the pyramid is the top and those are the people and each level down, you're supporting the person above you. Um, and that's basically the idea of a manager, is you're supporting the people above you. You— they don't work for you, you kind of work for them, because your, your job is to make their job easier and take away as many challenges as you've got. Um, yeah, coaching would be great. If you are listening to this and you do want coaching, Leanne does do coaching. I don't quite know whether you're, you're able to expense it or not, but you know, if anyone's listening to this and they want a little bit of management coaching, then Leanne is definitely someone to, to speak to. You can go to the show notes, you can book a session There if you want. Lee, it's been an action-packed, bumper, politically biased, fun, hamster-peeing episode [42:00] Leanne Elliott: Early laughing. Yeah, I enjoyed that. I hope you did, listener, but I enjoyed that. Some interesting questions on the, the surgery there. And yeah, I'm— I— it's interesting, isn't it, how also your— maybe your mood and your mindset can, can influence some of the, the, um, the thoughts that you have, which is also worth, worth reminding, isn't it? If it reminds them, they're also worth remembering. That's the word. Anyway, I haven't even had a cocktail yet. Um, yeah, cool. If you've got a question, send it in. And particularly if you're enjoying this more laid back, it's fine, chill out, don't take yourself so seriously. Um, Leanne, I'm, I'm here for it