Truth 10. Keep your boss your biggest fan
On "day one" of your assignment, your boss is your biggest fan. Your goal is to keep it that way!
One of the biggest mistakes people make in a job is trying to get to and stay in a "good place" with their boss, fearful of making waves. Subordinates often do this by adopting the role of corporate toady, wherein they "go along to get along"—reducing their role, presence, and impact to that of a rubber stamp or mimicking parrot.
While "getting along" is important, it's just a small part of what the boss is looking for. She wants you to faithfully serve and execute her agenda. And these expectations start on your first day.
While "getting along" is important, it's just a small part of what the boss is looking for.
The challenge for you is to identify those expectations and to address the "gap" between those expectations and what you think you need to deliver. You must do this by gaining an early and ongoing understanding of five key discussion points.
The first point of discussion with your boss centers upon situational diagnostics. Here, you try to find out your boss's views of the organization—what's right and what's not? What's the organization's history? How did we get to this point? What makes this situation a challenge? Why is it unique? What behaviors are encouraged? How are those behaviors rewarded? What values are exemplified?
Your goal is to explore and see the world through your boss's eyes and not to be judgmental. Think of it as fact-finding.
The second topic is your responsibilities. What does your boss want you to accomplish in the first 30, 60, 90 days? Are there clear, measurable goals? How will you know that you have been successful? Are these timelines and goals realistic? Are there boundaries that you need to be aware of? Are there particular constituents with whom to build bridges or steer clear? Are there any team issues of significant consequence or sensitivity?
Third, it's important that you and your boss agree upon how and how often you'll interface. Specifically, what form of communication does your boss prefer? What kinds of operational issues does she want to be kept abreast of? How will surprises be eliminated or minimized? What types of decisions require consultation? Are weekly updates enough or too much? Are there particularly sensitive or politically charged matters that should be elevated sooner than later?
You'll also need to discuss resources. Beyond budget and headcount, what other resources are available? What role will your boss play in your acclimation? Will your boss be available to make introductions to key stakeholders? How involved does your boss want to be in sorting through some of the staffing issues? Will your boss help you champion the need for change?
Last, you should review how and how often you'll receive performance feedback, and how this information may be used as the basis for your personal developmental plans.
These topics are listed in an order of logic and sequence. For example, you should be discussing situational diagnostics in your first conversation, but parameters concerning performance feedback are a topic you'll more likely evolve toward as your relationship becomes more comfortable over time.