Hey, Big Shot

Landed a new boss role at work, but worried what to do now you’re actually at the top? Read on

- Kate Pasola

You’ve finally left behind the office Pret run. You no longer have to hustle your way to payday by selling your life’s belongings on Depop. But alongside the perks of promotion come challenges. Scary challenges. Like managing people. Tricky at any age, but even more so when you’re younger than your reportees (something that’s becoming more common as 34% of managers are now millennials*). Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or managing your own start-up staff, here’s everything you need to know about being a young boss.

THE PROBLEM

YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES

One minute you’re downing tequila and sharing 4am Ubers with them, the next you’re having to call them out for sloping into the office at 10.15am. Yep, we hate to break it to you but as soon as you’re in a higher position of responsibility, those relationships with your co-workers will have to change.

THE SOLUTION: Don’t pull up the drawbridge completely. Meet your co-workers for an office lunch, skipping that tongue-loosening glass of wine, or conduct your meetings in informal or creative spaces. Curious team members trying to squeeze office gossip out of you? Find a party line and stick to it, rehearsing it beforehand. Also, remember that “every day you are setting an example”, or so says Amanda Bradford, who launched the dating app The League at 30. Conduct yourself as you’d want your employees to. If you rock up late to a pitch meeting with excuses that are more creative than your actual ideas, it’s likely your team will start to follow suit. Make a list of five traits and behaviours you expect from them, and check you’re owning them yourself. If not, it’s time to knuckle down.

THE PROBLEM

YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN