Women who’ve become managers, what has been your strangest/unexpected reaction to your position of power?

Question

One of my colleagues who I now manage doesn’t like to make eye contact with me. I had no idea he would react this way. I think he feels like I took his role but I really thought he would’ve been the most supportive person about my promotion. Managers, what’s your unexpected/strange story? Also, how do I deal with this no eye contact situation?

Olivia Oz · Answer

I knew my team before I was a manager and they treated me like a peer. Once I became a manager I felt like a few of them changed the way they acted around me and I could feel their caution within conversations. It was really strange but over the following month, they relaxed around me and it all kind of shook out.

Women who’ve become managers, what has been your strangest/unexpected reaction to your position of power?

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