Changes happen in life – there’s no doubt about it. We have to be prepared for even the most unexpected things to happen – from major life decisions to your work bestie getting promoted, suddenly making him or her your boss. It happens – more than you know – and dealing with it can be a big challenge. Sometimes there are hurt feelings that come along with this or sometimes those feelings might be a tinge of jealousy (and it’s OK, that’s completely normal).
But, regardless you now have to move on, deal with it and find a new normal for your relationship. When your friend becomes your boss, things change. Your dynamic will change. Your interactions will probably change. And, unfortunately you may see less of one another throughout the day. Despite all these changes – it’s reality. It’s time to learn how to deal.
Work Talk: How to Deal if Your Friend is Suddenly Your Boss
Keep in mind that you can still be friends, but your interactions at the office might need to change. This new boss/employee relationship means that throughout the workday you can still be friends, however you may need a new professional boundary. Not just to help create that new working interaction, but to be sure no one else on the team feels alienated or not part of the task at hand. It’s time to let your new boss lead and if that means keeping your bestie talk for after hours, that’s probably what you’re going to have to do. It will be tough at the start, but you’ll get in a groove.
Anticipate this relationship to change and prepare yourself. It’s OK for relationships to change, everyone grows from challenges. But mentally preparing yourself will certainly help the process. Have a chat with your friend and discuss how you both are going to handle this. Be open. Put it all out on the table. There will be new expectations of one another and the time will come when you’ll probably even have to talk salary. That’s some personal stuff. Prepping yourself, becoming OK with this change – that’s on you.
Remember, you aren’t alone here. This is going to be an awkward adjustment for your friend too. Going from being peers to being put in a situation that includes expectations and evaluations of work performance is a pretty big adjustment, for both sides. Even if you’re feeling a little bit jealous of your friend’s promotion – remember: he or she was your friend first. Be happy for him or her and keep in mind that this is tough for everyone involved. Your time for advancement will come too, so just keep working hard.
Be strong about the change and keep it professional at all times. Even if you’re not happy with the situation, you can handle it with grace at the office. Be happy for your friend and don’t engage in any sort of work gossip about the situation. It’s tough enough as it is – making it more difficult is not where you want to be. Keep your interactions in the office professional with one another too. It may be tough, but leave your friend talk and banter for happy hour, it will make it easier all around.
In general, just keep on being the good, hard-working employee you know you can be. Get your work done, do it well and have a can do attitude across the board. You’ll be recognized for all you do – don’t worry about that and in the meantime, be happy for your friend. We all want to see our friends succeed and want the best for them – even when it’s a little challenging for us.
Has this ever happened to you? How did you handle the situation?
