
“Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication.” – Mike Krzyzewski, American college basketball player and coach. Whenever you start working with a new manager, make one your first goals to determine the ground rules of your relationship, especially how you interact. Some rules are baked-in, based on your relative positions in the organizational hierarchy, but a surprising number aren't. Ideally, your new leader will let you know the basics, but if they don't, it's up to you to step up and ask. One of your most significant "rules of engagement" is determining your manager's favored communication method. This is a key aspect of effectively "managing up." Ideally, the lines of communication should always remain open and clear, with communications coming to you from your … [Read more...]