Page 30 - Leveraging Up ebook by Joanne Linden 2021 ACE Peer Network

Leveraging Up!

Normally, you should wait to solicit feedback on your behavior until
you’ve worked with your Manager for about a month. However, I’d

recommend doing so immediately at the end of a meeting where you

played a major role. Ask them directly, “What did I do well and what
can I improve upon next time?” The most developmentally focused

Managers will usually give you concrete guidance about what they
want to see from you. Ineffective Managers may not. With them,

you’ll have to pay far greater attention to their non-verbal behavior

for that feedback.

But if you don’t ask directly, your Manager usually won’t tell you the
first time you trigger a hot button. They may assume it was

unintentional on your part, but you’re now on notice – you just don’t

know it yet. The second time you trigger them, however, the Manager
will begin to doubt you. Certainly, by the third time, you’ll hear from

them. But at this point, you are now identified as a problem in their
minds.

So, in those early days with your Manager, ramp up your observation

skills. The first time you trigger one of their hot buttons they’ll send

you a non-verbal signal. You’ll see a raised eyebrow or grimace or
hear something like “I personally wouldn’t have done it that way.” Do

not ignore that statement — have a conversation about it afterwards.

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