Focusing on the Fundamentals

When experienced managers are quizzed about how to build a productive relationship with a new boss, their observations typically emerge in the form of do s and don ts. Let s start with the don ts:

• Don t trash the past. There is nothing to be gained and much to be lost by criticizing the people who led the organization before you arrived. This doesn t mean that you should tolerate mediocrity . You need to understand the past, but concentrate on assessing current behavior and results, and on making the changes necessary to support improved performance.

• Don t stay away. If you have a boss who doesn t reach out to you, or with whom you have uncomfortable interactions, you will have to reach out yourself. Otherwise, you risk letting crippling communications or expectations gaps arise. It may feel good to be given a lot of rope, but resist the urge to take it. Get on your boss s calendar regularly. Be sure your boss is aware of the issues you face and that you are aware of the boss s expectations and whether and how they are shifting.

• Don t surprise your boss. It is no fun bringing your boss bad news. The danger that the messenger (you) will be shot is very real. However, most bosses consider it a far greater sin not to report emerging problems early enough. Worst of all is for your boss to learn about a problem from someone else. It is usually best to give your new boss at least a heads-up as soon as you become aware of a developing problem.

• Don t approach your boss only with problems. You don t want to be perceived as bringing nothing but problems for your boss to solve. You need to have a plan too. This emphatically does not mean that you have to fashion full-blown solutions: The outlay of time and effort needed to generate solutions can easily lure you down the rocky road to surprising your boss. The key here is to give just a few minutes thought to how to address the problem, and to your role and the help you will need.

• Don t run down your checklist. There is a tendency, even for senior managers, to use meetings with a boss as an opportunity to run through your checklist of what you have been doing. There are times when this is appropriate, but it is rarely what your boss needs or wants to hear. As one senior executive put it, I tell them [new direct reports ] that I assume they are busy and that they should come to me to discuss what they are trying to do and how I can help them.

• Don t try to change the boss. One accomplished manager told a story about scheduling a midafternoon meeting with his boss and immediately launching into a review of an important issue, only to discover the boss was falling asleep. The manager had been surprised when making the appointment to find the midafternoon time slot open , not just that day but nearly every day. His peers had already figured out the boss needed a regular nap then and scheduled meetings at other hours. The point? Assume that you are not going to change your boss, and adapt to his or her style and idiosyncrasies. There are some fundamental do s as well. If you follow them, life with your new boss will be easier:

• Take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work. This is the flip side of Don t stay away. Don t expect your boss to reach out or to offer you the time and support you need. It is best to begin by assuming that it is on your shoulders to make the relationship work. If your boss meets you partway, it will be a welcome surprise.

• Clarify mutual expectations early and often. Begin managing expectations right away. You are in trouble if your boss expects you to fix things fast when you know the business has serious structural problems. It is wise to get bad news on the table early and to lower unrealistic expectations. Then check in regularly to make sure the boss s expectations have not shifted.

• Negotiate timelines for diagnosis and action planning. Don t let yourself get caught up immediately in fire-fighting, or pressured to make calls before you are ready. Buy yourself some time to diagnose the new organization and come up with an action plan. It worked for Michael Chen in his dealings with Vaughan Cates, and it can work for you. The 90-day plan discussed at the end of this chapter is an excellent vehicle for accomplishing this.

• Aim for early wins in areas important to the boss. Whatever your own priorities, figure out what the boss cares about most. What are his or her interests and goals, and how does what you are doing fit into this picture? Once you know, aim for early results in those areas.

  One good way to do so is to focus on just three things that are important to your boss and to discuss what you are doing about them every time you interact. That way, your boss will feel some ownership of your success. But don t make the mistake of taking actions you think are misguided. In part, your job is to shape your boss s perceptions of what can and should be achieved.

• Pursue good marks from those whose opinions your boss respects. Your new boss s opinion of you will be based partly on direct interactions and partly on what he or she hears about you from trusted others. Your boss may have preexisting relationships with people who are now your subordinates . You needn t curry favor with the people your boss trusts. Simply be alert to the multiple channels through which information about you and your performance will reach your boss.

With these basic rules in mind, you can begin to plan how to engage with your new boss.