Guarantee a Successful Manager Transition
Good morning,
Having a manager who’s not only invested in being a support and coaching resource, but also your advocate is life-changing. And I’m not being hyperbolic. But how much of a harmonious and productive manager relationship is just luck? Let’s dive in.
So you have a new manager. Or you don’t, but want to improve the relationship with your current manager. Or you want to be ready when a leadership change inevitably happens in the future. This is a sales leadership newsletter; knowing how to sell the concept to your leadership that you’re the best person to deliver [insert whatever matters to your management] will make your work-life better.
“Every conflict or point of tension boils down to people wishing others were more like them.”
— My mom
There are two ways to learn what matters to your manager:
Conflict or tension arising and making clear some of your behavior isn't working for your manager's preferences.
Proactively asking what’s important both professionally and personally— either directly to your manager or to someone who has previously worked with them
Choose your own adventure. The “conflict” path is largely avoidable if you take the time to do your discovery.
Here’s what I’m not telling you to do: Completely morph all aspects of your personality and work style to your manager’s preferences to maintain the peace. You can still maintain your personality while adjusting how you showcase the work you’re doing.
Consider treating early interactions with your manager like a discovery meeting with a new customer or stakeholder. And if you’ve been working with your manager for a long period of time and don’t know their objectives, it’s worth taking the time to check in over coffee/lunch. Validate if your behavior aligns with what’s valuable to your manager. If you have the skills to facilitate a discovery call with a client, you can do the same with your manager.
Do a “health checkup” on the relationship with your manager. It’s a problem if you can’t clearly make the connection with what matters to them and the actions you take on a day-to-day basis.
82% of American workers said they would potentially quit their job because of a bad manager (source). “Bad manager” is, of course, relative. Do your part to maintain a strong relationship with the person who significantly impacts your work experience.