JUST TELL US WHAT IT IS YOU WANT
What employees want to know about their new boss—but are afraid to ask.
Frank Petrock
When a new boss sweeps into a company, one thing is certain: uncertainty. Anxious employees wonder: What will happen? Where will I fit in? How will I be treated? They want to know about the new manager’s priorities, standards, style, idiosyncrasies. They have dozens of questions, but they don’t dare ask them—or don’t get a chance to. What can an incoming executive do to allay uncertainty at a time when he needs all the help he can get? The best step is to give priority to addressing the concerns of employees as early as possible. You will be well on the way to building trust and establishing a solid working team.
The concerns boil down to 29 key questions, in seven categories, that employees would love to ask you—but probably won’t because of fear or embarrassment. You should make it a point to answer them anyway.
Priorities:
- What is your number–one priority in the next six months?
- What are your personal career goals?
Performance and productivity:
- What do you expect of me?
- What are your productivity goals?
- What is your definition of a top performer?
- How do you plan to measure my productivity
- How will I know if my performance displeases you?
- How receptive are you to productivity innovations?
- Are you willing to take risks and to what degree?
Decisions:
- How far down do you intend to push decision making?
- What should I do if I think that you are making a mistake?
- Do you have a negotiation period after you make a decision? If so, how should I approach you?
Management Style:
- How can I tell if something is important to you?
- How often do you want to see me for updates and information?
- How do you express satisfaction?
- How do you handle conflict?
- What do I do if you become angry?
- Do you have any idiosyncrasies that I should know about?
- What are the ground rules for calling you at home?
- What are your strong points and weak points?
Ethics:
- Do you have any strong feelings about any moral or ethical issue?
- What should I do if I feel that my work puts me in an ethical bind?
Communications:
- Do you accept rough drafts, or should everything be in its final form?
- Do you expect written status reports?
- How do you send zingers to the staff?
- How much do you want to know about a problem?
- When during the day do you prefer to get information?
Personal relations:
- How much social interaction do you want me to have with you?
- How should I address you?
For managers, the most important question at hand is: How do you handle these 29 questions?
One way to answer them is in meetings and in one–on–one encounters the first couple of weeks on the job. A more effective way is to conduct a transition session with the management team and address the concerns carefully and candidly. Remember that you should be working to build trust as much as to convey information.
A new manager will find that the question–answering process is well worth the effort. By demonstrating frankness, flexibility, creativity, and energy, you can serve as a model of what you expect from your staff.
Frank Petrock heads the General Systems Consulting Group, Inc., in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
This article is from Business Month, Dec. 1989.