From Peer to Boss: Navigating Your First 90 Days as a New Supervisor
- linnearader
- Oct 1
- 7 min read
Congratulations! You've just been promoted to supervisor. You probably feel a mix of excitement, pride, and if we're being honest, some serious anxiety. Yesterday you and your friend Chris were talking about your weekend plans and now today you’re preparing his job assignments. Yesterday you were complaining about policies with your team, and today you're responsible for enforcing them.
If your stomach just did a little flip reading that, you're not alone. The transition from peer to boss is one of the most challenging leaps in professional development, and those first 90 days will either set you up for success or leave you questioning whether you made a terrible mistake.
In my nearly two decades in public service, I've witnessed this transition countless times, both the spectacular successes and the painful failures. The difference between the two isn't luck or natural talent. It's understanding what this transition really requires, the changes you need to make, and having a roadmap to navigate it successfully.
"You've transitioned from being "one of us" to being "one of them" in your former peers' eyes, whether they admit it or not."
The Reality Check: What Just Changed (Besides Your Paycheck)
Let's start with some truth-telling. Everything changed, even if it doesn't feel like it yet. You're still in the same building, working with the same people, dealing with many of the same challenges. But your role, responsibilities, and relationships have fundamentally shifted.
You've moved from being responsible for your own work to being accountable for your team's results. You've gone from having one perspective, yours, to needing to balance multiple viewpoints, personalities, and priorities. Most significantly, you've transitioned from being "one of us" to being "one of them" in your former peers' eyes, whether they admit it or not.
This shift creates what I call the "awkward middle," you're no longer a peer, but you don't yet feel like a real supervisor either. You're caught between two worlds, and it's uncomfortable. The good news? This feeling is temporary if you navigate it intentionally.
We are only talking about supervisory tasks today, we aren’t covering the various work tasks you’ll need to learn. Sorry, that’s a different subject!
Week 1-2: The Foundation Phase
"In the absence of facts, your team will make up the details. Fill in the gaps, answer the questions, provide the information."
Your first two weeks are crucial. Everything you do (and don't do) is being watched, analyzed, and discussed. Your former peers are wondering if you've changed, your new boss is watching to see if they made the right choice, and you're probably overthinking every single thing you do.
Have Conversations
Your title changed, you as a person did not. While you’re now a supervisor as opposed to just a work friend, you can’t have the same conversations as you did before. However, continuing to have conversations and letting your team know you’re still human and aren’t letting “being the boss” go to your head will take you far.
Establish Your Communication Style
Your team needs to understand how you operate. How will you discuss job duties? Will you meet with them every morning? Once a week? Once a month? If your team has questions, how and when should they contact you? When you need to make decisions, will you go it alone or will you communicate with your team and gather insight first?
Have this conversation. In the absence of facts, your team will make up the details. Fill in the gaps, answer the questions, provide the information. Don’t assume they will just figure out how you operate and what you want from them, tell them.
"This isn’t the time to go turn everything on it’s head and change everything you touch."
Resist the Urge to Change Anything
I know you have ideas. I know you've been watching things from the sidelines thinking, "If I were in charge, I'd do this differently." But this isn’t the time to go turn everything on it’s head and change everything you touch. You need to understand the full picture first, and your team needs time to adjust to you as their supervisor before you start changing their world. Up until now, you’ve not had access to the full picture; the how and why decisions are made, why things are done certain ways, etc. You need to learn first, then determine what needs changing.
Week 3-4: The Observation Phase
By week three, the initial excitement (and terror) has settled a bit. Now it's time to really observe and assess. This is when you start understanding the difference between how things appear to work and how they actually work.
Identify the Informal Power Structure
Every team has an informal hierarchy that exists alongside the official org chart. Who do people go to with questions when you're not around? Who influences group decisions? Who are the connectors, the resisters, the innovators? Understanding these dynamics is crucial for your success. As a prior peer, you probably know the road map pretty well, but with your position change, that dynamic may have shifted as well.
Start Building Different Relationships
You need allies at your level and above. Begin cultivating relationships with other supervisors, department heads, and anyone who can help you understand the broader organizational context. These relationships will be invaluable as you navigate challenges and opportunities.
Week 5-8: The Integration Phase
"If you make a change, tell your team why."
By now, you should have a clearer picture of your team's strengths, challenges, and dynamics. This is when you can start making adjustments (if they are needed) and establish your leadership approach.
Have the Boundary Conversation
This is often the hardest part of the transition, establishing new boundaries with former peers. You can still be friendly, but the relationship has changed. You can't be the person they vent to about upper management anymore because you are upper management. You can't participate in gossip or complain about policies you're now responsible for implementing.
This conversation doesn't have to be formal or awkward. It can be as simple as, "I value our relationship, and I want to make sure we're both clear about how it needs to evolve now that I'm in this role."
Implement Your First Changes
Now you can start making improvements, but do so thoughtfully. Choose one or two issues that clearly need addressing and will have visible positive impact. Involve your team in the solution-finding process. This shows you're listening to their input while establishing your role as a decision-maker.
Think if someone walked in the door and started changing how you did your job without consulting with you…you’d hate it. So don’t do that to your team either. If a change needs to occur, talk to your team. Talk about the problem or issue, then talk about potential solutions. Listen to their insight. This does NOT mean you have to use all of their ideas, you’re listening and will make the decisions you feel are best.
If you make a change, tell your team why. If they offered suggestions and you went a different direction, tell them why. While you don’t “owe” them the nitty gritty details, explaining your why will build more respect and buy in.
Establish Regular Feedback Loops
Implement regular one-on-ones with team members and start providing consistent feedback. Many new supervisors avoid giving feedback because it feels uncomfortable, but your team needs and deserves to know how they're performing. Remember that this feedback should not only be negative, but also positive. If an error is made, acknowledge it (and document it). If an amazing success occurs, celebrate (and document) it as well.
Week 9-12: The Leadership Phase
"You’re going to make mistakes or wish you’d done things differently, that’s ok. Learn from it and move on."
By your third month, you should be settling into your role with more confidence. You've learned the landscape, established relationships, and begun making your mark.
Focus on Development
Start thinking about your team members' growth and development. Who's ready for additional responsibilities? Who needs additional training or support? Your success as a supervisor will ultimately be measured by your team's performance and growth.
Build Your Own Support System
Supervisory roles can be isolating. Build relationships with other supervisors who can serve as mentors, sounding boards, and sources of support. Consider finding a mentor who's successfully navigated similar transitions.
Reflect and Adjust
Take time to honestly assess your first 90 days. What went well? What would you do differently? What lessons have you learned? This reflection will guide your continued development as a leader. You’re going to make mistakes or wish you’d done things differently, that’s ok. Learn from it and move on.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
"Nobody put you in the position thinking you’d walk out day one and have everything down pat."
The Friendship Trap: Trying to maintain the exact same relationships with former peers. The relationships can remain positive, but they must evolve. The way you communicate has to change.
The Authority Trip: Suddenly becoming rigid or overly formal to establish authority. Leadership isn't about power, it's about influence and results. If it starts going to your head, get a handle on it fast.
The Overwhelm Response: Trying to do or fix everything at once. Learning the job takes time. Change takes time. Nobody put you in the position thinking you’d walk out day one and have everything down pat. Any changes you need to make will happen gradually to make sure they are sustainable.
The Isolation Error: Cutting yourself off from your team because the relationships feel complicated. Stay connected while setting appropriate boundaries.
Your 90-Day Action Plan
Days 1-14: Listen, learn, and observe. Talk to your team.
Days 15-30: Continue observing while beginning to understand team dynamics and organizational context.
Days 31-60: Start making strategic adjustments and establishing your leadership approach.
Days 61-90: Focus on team development and building your own support systems.
Moving Forward with Confidence
The first 90 days as a new supervisor are intense, challenging, and crucial. But they're also an incredible opportunity to establish yourself as the leader you want to be. Remember, you were promoted because someone believed in your potential. Trust that judgment while remaining open to continuous learning and growth.
Your transition from peer to boss isn't just about changing your title, it's about evolving your entire professional identity. Embrace the challenge, be patient with yourself and others, and remember that great leaders aren't born, they're developed through experiences exactly like this one.
The team member who was promoted alongside you or right after you is watching how you handle this transition. Your former peers are watching to see what kind of leader you become. Most importantly, you're discovering what kind of leader you want to be.
Make it count.
What challenges did you face in your transition from peer to boss? What advice would you give to someone just starting their supervisory journey? Share your experiences in the comments, your insights could help someone navigate their own transition.
As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!
Connect With Me
If you want to consult on training or coaching for your team, please reach out.
269-621-5282
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