They Used to Be in Your Seat. Now You Manage Them.
The trust is broken.
Everything feels… off.
It isn’t about story points or stand-ups.
It’s relational, not technical.
The Real Issue
When someone feels replaced or forgotten, no process will fix that.
People fix that.
What Actually Helped?
✅ Naming the discomfort – saying out loud that things feel weird
✅ Asking, not assuming – “What’s been hardest about this change?”
✅ Leading with empathy, not ego – showing you see them, not just manage them
Presence beats process every time.
Why This Matters
“Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement — they make or break the employee experience.”
— Gallup 1
High engagement isn’t just a vibe; it’s a balance-sheet advantage:
- +23 % profitability in highly engaged teams1
- –51 % turnover in low-churn organisations with engaged teams1
Ignore the human side and performance unravels.
Why I Care
I’ve stood in this exact awkward space: promoted above a peer with no playbook.
Now I coach engineering managers through it every week, helping them:
- Rebuild trust without losing authority
- Navigate sticky post-promotion dynamics
- Lead with clarity, confidence and care
You can’t “process” trust into a team.
You create space for it to grow.
That’s real leadership.
Want to Talk It Through?
[Book a free coaching conversation]