Test 05 · Stepping up
Peer to Boss
You can stay friends with your team. You can’t stay one of them.
The short answer
Peer to Boss is a free self-test for people promoted, or about to be, over their former peers. Fourteen questions cover six areas, from friendships and fairness to old gossip and feeling left out. You get a score out of 100 and your three awkward hotspots, each with one thing to try on Monday, so you can plan the conversations.
Drafted with AI for Jay Sampat, Chief Mirror Holder · coach review pending
- Who it’s for
- Anyone about to manage people who were, until recently, their peers or friends.
- What you get
- A score out of 100 and your three awkward hotspots, each with one thing to try on Monday.
The group chat that went quiet when you joined it as the manager.
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I tell people where they stand without them having to ask.
A question from The 42 Test that touches this topic.
Peer to Boss
Why is going from peer to boss so awkward?
Because the relationships stay and the roles change. On Friday you were one of the team; on Monday you sign off their leave and rate their work. Most of the awkwardness sits in a few predictable places, and they’re different for everyone. Knowing yours in advance means you can plan the conversation instead of reacting to it.
Take Peer to Boss: fourteen questions, about five minutes. If the promotion is still coming, answer as you expect things to be.
What does the test look at?
Six areas, two or three questions each:
- Friendships. Whether worry about the friendship makes you tiptoe.
- Fairness and favouritism. Where your time and the good work go.
- Old gossip. Whether the old complaining and confidences have stopped.
- Feedback to friends. Whether hard feedback for friends gets delayed or softened.
- Using your authority. Whether you make the calls that are now yours.
- Feeling left out. How much losing your place in the old group stings, and who you lean on instead.
What do I get at the end?
A score out of 100 and your three awkward hotspots, the areas where the shift is hardest for you, each with one thing to try on Monday, such as counting your one-to-one minutes per person over two weeks. The bands are “Settling in” (70 and above), “Some awkward patches” (40 to 69) and “A lot still to work through” (below 40).
How is it worked out?
Each answer runs from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Six of the fourteen questions describe a healthy habit, such as “I make the call when the team can’t agree”, and are flipped before scoring. Each area’s average shows how awkward that part of the shift is. The overall average becomes the score, from 0 to 100, and the three highest areas are your hotspots.
The questions, areas, bands and advice are a draft written with AI and are waiting for a coach’s review. Treat the result as a mirror, not a verdict.
What should I read or take next?
Read how to go from peer to boss without losing friends, with scripts for the first conversation, the group chat and the first hard feedback. Feedback Appetite shows how well you take feedback yourself, and The 42 Test gives a fuller read on how you lead. Every tool for this moment is on the Stepping up page.
Drafted with AI · coach review pending
Questions people ask
- How do you manage people who used to be your peers?
- Talk to each of them one-to-one early, and say what changes (feedback, decisions, what you can share) and what doesn’t. Then make your fairness visible: share how you’ll decide before you decide, and watch where your time goes.
- Can I still be friends with people I manage?
- You can stay friendly, but the friendship changes shape. You’ll rate their work and know things you can’t share. Being open about that, rather than pretending nothing has changed, is what protects it.
- How is the Peer to Boss score worked out?
- Each answer runs from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Six of the fourteen questions describe a healthy habit and are flipped, so every answer measures how awkward that part of the shift is. The average becomes a score from 0 to 100, and the three most awkward areas are your hotspots. It’s a reflection, not a verdict.
- Is Peer to Boss free, and who sees my answers?
- It’s free with no sign-up. Your answers and score stay in your browser; Coach42 never sees them.
More tests for stepping up
From the Question Library
Question 17 of 42
When someone is underperforming, I tell them in plain words.
Drafted with AI · coach review pending