Planning the Situation Conversation

Reaching a shared understanding of the business situation you face, and of its associated challenges and opportunities, is your goal in the situational diagnosis conversation . This shared understanding is the foundation for everything you will do. If you and your boss do not define your new situation in the same way, you will not receive the support you need to achieve your objectives. Thus, your first discussion with your new boss should center on clearly defining your new situation using the ST _A RS model as a shared language.

Match Support to Your Situation

The support you need from your boss will depend on the scenario ”whether it is a start-up, turnaround , realignment , or sustaining -success situation. Once you reach a common understanding of the situation, think carefully about the role you would like your new boss to play and what kinds of support you will ask for. In all four situations, you will need your boss to give you the direction, support, and space to do your job. Table 5-1 lists typical roles your boss might play in each of the ST _A RS situations.

Table 5-1: Matching Support to Your Situation

Situation	Typical Roles for Your Boss
Start-up	Help getting needed resources quickly Clear, measurable goals Guidance at strategic breakpoints Help staying focused
Turnaround	Same as start-up, plus Support for making and implementing tough personnel calls Support for changing or correcting the external image of the organization and its people Help cutting deeply enough and early enough
Realignment	Same as start-up, plus Help making the case for change, especially if you are coming in from outside the organization
Sustaining success	Constant reality testing: Is this a sustaining-success situation or is it a re-alignment? Support for playing good defense and avoiding mistakes that damage the business Help finding ways to take the business to a new level