Meet the new boss

It’s always a challenge to get your footing when you are in a new job. It can be just as difficult when your job changes because a new boss is redefining your role.
 
An executive may easily be out of sync with their new CEO. Performance that once met expectations is no longer adequate. The new boss is unclear about their agenda and whether this executive fit in. There is a new relationship to forge. There is a new culture being built out of unspoken rules. The CEO might bring with them people who have worked with them before. Nobody knows whether this is the first step in a full housecleaning or not. 
 
Sometimes, a new CEO has their own plan in mind, and it won’t include the leadership team that’s still in place from the previous regime. More often, a new CEO will recognize that there is benefit derived from having people who know how things work in an organization and can help to advance an agenda for change. The following seven suggestions are steps to take early in this new relationship.
 
Don’t take criticism of how things previously were done personally. A boss’s undiplomatic assessment of past strategy is not a reflection on your competence. Calling the previous plan stupid does not imply that they mean YOU are stupid.
 
Commit to the new boss’s success. A new boss brings with them a new direction. You may have been a critical part of the old direction. That doesn’t preclude you from being part of a new direction. You must decide whether you are wedded to a strategy that is about to change or whether you can buy into a new strategy. If you can’t be part of the change, leave. Resistance is futile and self-destructive. An early conversation should center around the boss's vision and priorities, and how you can contribute to their activation. Context is important, but make sure your explanation of potential obstacles is not perceived as opposition to the new direction.
 
Seek clarity in your role in delivering change. The answer to “how can I help” may seem too obvious to ask. Ask anyway. It shows that you are on board. And it might also lead to surprising answers.
 
Clarify your decision rights. Executive Springboard calls these “Do-Tell-Ask.”  What are the things you can do without informing the boss? What do they want to kept in the loop on, once you’ve acted? When do you need their permission to act? It may be hard to get granular on this, but you can establish a language that helps de-escalate potential conflicts: “I’m sorry, I thought this was a “tell,” and you see this as an “ask.”
 
Understand the boss’s communication preferences. Some have an open-door policy. Some have no meetings longer than 30 minutes. They may frequently reach out to your subordinates without including you. They may send out weekly voicemail messages to all staff. Most people can articulate their communications style better than they can define their leadership style.
 
Avoid trying to impress, whine or petition. It’s not about you; it’s about your boss. If you want to stand out, try not bringing your own agenda to the forefront. Instead, limit status reporting to 5 minutes, share successes, seek to understand their direction and engage in two-way feedback early on, if invited to do so.  In other words, be a grownup. Ask for direction when you are lost or when your decision rights discussion says it’s needed. Besides that, do your job and let your boss do theirs.
 
Build a personal relationship incrementally. Ask them to lunch early on. Be aware that they are experiencing more disruption than you are. They are counting on you. Your authenticity is the quickest path to developing trust.