Think back to the last time that you got a new boss. You needed to learn what their style is, what they like or don’t like, how they work, how to communicate with them, etc. Now flip the coin and think about the people who will be working with you when you join a team. How do you let them know this information so they understand how to work with you?
There are various ways to do this effectively. I have a few resources that you can try on my website: a New Leader Success Session Infographic and a Get to Know You Presentation Checklist to help you create a presentation about yourself. I also found this snippet in LinkedIn about a leader who has created a user manual for her team. The link below shows you the author’s manual and also has a link to create your own.
Idea of the Day: Ever wish your boss came with a user manual? Global Citizen Year Abby Falik actually did create her own user manual — and so did everyone on her leadership team. She writes one every year, not only to give employees insight into how she works, but also to self-reflect. She even uses the manual as an opportunity to collect feedback from others.
“It’s a living document that describes my innate wiring and my growing edge, while putting it out to the world that I know I am – and aim to always be — a work-in-progress.”
Getting people the information is the most important thing. Whichever one of the choices you make as to how to do it is up to you and your style. I thought the user manual was very clever and something you should minimally put together for yourself. It helps you really think through what is important to you and how can people work with you in the most effective way.