THE SCENARIO
I have been hired to take on a management position in a new company. I met my new boss as part of the interview panel but have had no further opportunity to get to know her. I want to make a good impression with her from the start. How do I do this?
THE ADVICE
Keep in mind that you have already made a good first impression with your new boss through the interview and selection process. Otherwise you wouldn't have been hired. Here are some tips on how to continue to build positive and aligned relationship with your boss:
Make face time a priority
Meet with your new supervisor to express your appreciation for being hired. Indicate how much you are looking forward to working with her and your new staff. Point out that you want to build a really strong relationship with her and that you would like her input on designing the most effective working relationship. Ask her how she likes to supervise and work with her managers. Share with her how you like to be supervised.
Find that middle ground with respect to frequency of communication, type of communication, and clarifying priorities on both your parts. Explore what is important to her and what she truly values in the workplace. Share what is important to you with respect to values and working together. Ask her what her vision is for the company, her division and for your work area. Explore how you can best work together to move toward her goals.
Discuss conflict management
Talk about how you will work best together when things are going well. Find out how she deals with conflict, stress and how she reacts when things are not going well. Share with her how you deal with difficult and stressful situations. Discuss and agree on how you will best work with one another if one or both of you are stressed, tired or in conflict with each other or others.
Build a relationship
Relationships thrive on trust, respect, communication and affiliation. Explore with your new boss how you can build on each of these key areas. What does each of these mean to each of you and how can you best work together to continue to build and nurture them? Talk about what each of you can rely on the other for.
Focus on positives
Research shows that to build healthy, positive relationships you need six positive interactions for every negative interaction. Discuss topics such as acknowledgments, recognition, giving and receiving apologies; as well as how to handle mistakes, blaming or criticizing, defensiveness, and other inappropriate behaviour or attitudes.
Remember that the more you can consciously discuss and design with your boss about how to work best together, the stronger and more aligned your relationship will be.
Bruce Sandy is a certified coach, consultant, speaker and founder and principal of Pathfinder Coaching and Consulting in Vancouver. Website: brucesandy.com