How to Build a Relationship with Your Boss in 2 Weeks
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“How do I start off on the right foot with my new boss?”
Here's a handful of things you can do right off the bat with a new boss to get started on the right foot.
Side note: This is not about being a kiss ass or playing politics. The more that we understand people, the more we get a little bit deeper in terms of where people are coming from, the stronger, better, more trust and rapport that we have, and that in turn builds better relationships. It really is just about setting yourself up to have positive, productive relationships with people you work with.
1. Set up a meeting within the first 1-2 weeks to get to know them
Be clear that the purpose of the meeting is just to ask them some questions, get to know them and understand where they're coming from and their leadership style to set both of you up for success.
For that meeting, here's a handful of questions that you can ask that I think lead to some really great conversation:
Ask them to tell you about their personal leadership style and their philosophy about leading and creating successful teams
Ask them what they value the most in employees and members of the team. How can somebody on their team earn an extra gold star?
Have them tell you what one or of their biggest pet peeves are on a team or working with other people? (Really important)
Ask how they like to give and receive feedback
A great addition to that question: If somebody has something very difficult to share with them, what's the best way to approach that? What's the best way to bring up that conversation and have that conversation with them if it's dicey or feels scary?
What is something that people often misunderstand about you and your approach, how you do things or your leadership style or how you come across?
What does a 10 out of 10 look like for you? From me as part of this team, what does a 10/10 look like from me to you?
A handful of pretty simple questions, add your own, but I think those ones are really great just to set a foundation of working together.
2. Share some of those things about yourself as well.
In that same meeting, have some conversations about what for you as part of the team:
What are your ideal working conditions that you can thrive in?
What types of things do you really value in a leader or a boss that somebody who is in a leadership position can earn a gold star with you?
Talk about how you like to give and receive feedback
What's the best way to approach you?
What are the ground rules of some of those conversations in our working relationship?
Talk about your career goals, where you want to go and where you want to end up eventually being. This one is really important, it gives them some insight into the kinds of feedback that they should be looking to give you.
3. After 3-4 weeks, set up another maintenance conversation to come back together with them to ask each other these 3 questions.
What's going great? So what do you like and appreciate about each other? So far as you're getting to know each other and working together, what is going well? What do you like?
Are there areas of opportunity for us to improve? Is there anything we need to talk about? Again, this is a time in a relationship where you're getting to know people's communication, leadership, and working styles. This is a critical time where we start to make assumptions about people, as much as possible, stay committed to being transparent and communicate. The sooner, the better in those types of conversations. It always leads to better results and more rapport, more trust in the long run.
Revisit this: What does a 10 out of 10 look like? Both of you should exchange answers to this. For me as an employee, what does a 10/10 look like? And for you as a leader, what does a 10/10 look like from me? And I think both people answering that question. So I'm saying as a leader, this is what a 10/10 looks like from you. And you're saying as an employee and part of this team, this is what a 10/10 looks like from you. Just some simple, easy conversations.
If we do these things in the first 2 weeks and then set up that final conversation, it sets us up for success. Deeper understanding, more trust, less assumptions on the part of where other people are coming from as we get to know one another, how we communicate, and how we work together.
That is the key to building better relationships and just working together in the long term, so that's it.
Go be awesome.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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