And that's another problem. New managers have to be able to tell people who were once their workmates, or equals, what to do. Yes, that must be a big problem. Well, it can work as long as you accept that your relationship with your old colleagues can never be the same. The dynamics of the relationship have to change. For example, you won't have that chance to go for a drink after work and have a quiet moan about the company any more. When you become a manager you are saying I agree with the values and direction of the company and I will work to promote these. The other big mistake, of course, is trying to please everyone all of the time. You can't You'll have to make decisions that members of the team might not always like. You know, managers shouldn't expect love. No, I see. OK. But imagine we have someone who has decided management is their next career goal. What should they do? Funnily enough, the one thing that people don't think of doing is to go and tell their immediate boss that they want to move up. Is that because they're scared that their boss will think they're trying to get his or her job? Maybe, but in fact your manager is the first person you should talk to. They're in the best position to help you by telling you what you need to do to develop.