A lot of time managers find themselves in a supervisory role where they are managing people who were their peers recently before they got promoted or maybe they are managing friends. And I think a lot of managers aren't sure how to deal with that situation. They feel like everybody is looking at them, trying to figure out what kind of manager are you going to be? Maybe people are looking at them and thinking, how come you're the boss and not me?


And I always tell new managers, you really have two choices in that case: either you operate in such a way that all your friends are wondering, how come they made her the boss and not me? Or you operate in such a way that nobody ever wonders, because it is so obvious why they made you the boss instead of me; because you are really, really good at it.


And sometimes when you try to lay down the law, one of your friends might turn around and say to you, "Hey, I thought we were friends!" Here's what I want you to say. I want you to say, "You know what? We are friends. And since we're such good friends, I was hoping that you would come in next week and work really, really hard all week to make me look good. But I'm not going to be able to pay you, OK? Since we're friends I thought you'd be willing to come in and do that for me." What is your friend going to say? "Hey listen, sorry, no hard feelings but this is a job." And you say, "Ding! And I'm the boss."