If you are having issues seeing eye-to-eye with your manager, initiate a one-on-one meeting to ask these eight essential questions.
With the answers you receive, you will better understand your manager’s point of view, be able to work together more effectively, and, ultimately, create more opportunity for success- for the both of you.
* What’s the most important achievement you hope to accomplish in your current role?
This question will give you insight into your manager’s short-term motivation, which will give you a better idea of what your goals and objectives should be. Managers, unfortunately, aren’t always clear with employees on their goals and plans, but if you understand a bit more about what your boss is focused on, you can better prioritise your own responsibilities and position yourself for success in your boss’ eyes.
* What are your career goals?
Knowing the manager's long-term plan will help you understand why he/she might make certain decisions. For instance, maybe he/she volunteers your department for a project that doesn’t seem important to you, but it puts him/her squarely in the visibility of top executives—which could put him/her in the perfect position for a promotion.
By having insight into his/her goals, you’ll better understand why he/she manages your team the way he/she does, instead of doubting his/her strategies.
* What is the most important thing your boss cares about?
Unless you are working for the CEO, your boss reports to a manager, too. So, asking this question will help you learn more about what the upper level of your organisation expects. And finding out these higher-level goals will give you a deeper sense of meaning in your work, since you’ll see exactly how you and your team fit into the bigger picture.
* What can I do to make you more successful?
This should be a question you ask on a regular basis—because you should always be trying to make your boss as successful as possible. When you’re able to get a straightforward answer to this, you’ll be able to focus your energy in the right places.
* What’s one thing I could do differently?
Having clear expectations is the key to delivering winning performance—and this question is a sneaky way to find out those expectations.
* What should I know about your work and management style?
Does your manager expect you to be available 24/7? Respond to emails on weekends? How does he or she handle stress?
Asking this straightforward question may not get you all the answers.
* How would you like to receive feedback from me?
No matter what, you won’t agree with your manager on everything. But, you don’t have to simply simmer in frustration—as long as you know how to present your gripes in the right way.
To prepare yourself for an eventual point of contention, ask how your manager prefers to get feedback—you’ll get a much better response if you play by his/her rules.
* Why did you hire me?
When you get a new job, you are often so excited that you forget to ask why you were selected over all the other candidates. But this is an important question to ask, because it will help you hone in on exactly how your boss believed you would make the team better.
By spending some time in your manager’s shoes, you will be able to smooth out any rough edges of your professional relationship. OK, it might be a little intimidating at first, but give it a try.
Courtesy: www.themuse.com
