Reset the Relationship Without Making It Weird

New manager leading former peers: how to reset the relationship at work without making it weird. A practical guide to your first one-on-one as a new manager, managing friends at work, and running a confident transition conversation with former peers. Walk away with scripts, steps, and small actions to build trust fast, set expectations as a new manager, and avoid classic first-time manager mistakes.

What You'll Learn:

• Use a simple 3-part script to lead your first one-on-one as a new manager with a former peer without making it awkward or defensive.
• Clarify your new decision rights and scope so your old coworkers understand what has actually changed—and what hasn’t.
• Run a structured “transition conversation” in the first week to reset expectations, reduce role ambiguity, and protect team trust.
• Avoid the most common first-time manager mistakes when managing friends at work, like overcorrecting, staying “one of the gang,” or dodging hard topics.
• Name and renegotiate at least one concrete expectation (e.g., deadlines, communication, approvals) so the new relationship feels real, not theoretical.
• Ask targeted questions to surface unspoken concerns your former coworkers may have about favoritism, fairness, and your new authority.
• Design a simple follow-up plan so today’s reset conversation turns into ongoing trust-building and better performance, not a one-time talk.
• Pick one real relationship, choose one tiny action this week, and apply what you learned so the transition feels deliberate instead of accidental.