Page 76 - Make Work Great

It Starts with You

sider the approach you intend to take. More specifi cally, you must
consider to whom you plan to speak fi rst, what you’ll talk about, and
how you plan to approach that person.
Start with who you see as the right person for your discussion.
If your question is well defi ned, one or more possible individuals
will often be apparent. If you need clarity regarding your purpose
or impact, it will typically come from someone who manages you or
someone who receives your output. If you need clarity about your
incentives or a better visibility system to monitor your progress, it
may come from your peers or perhaps a mentor. If you need clarity
about your resources or capability, you might choose to solicit infor-
mation or feedback from your employees or from trusted associates
within your professional network. These ideas are no substitute for
your own expertise, of course; you know better than anyone where
to start your search for answers. Get specifi c, and name one or two
people who are most likely to help you answer your question.
Next comes what you plan to say. Obviously you have a question.
But there’s a difference between having a question and asking a ques-
tion. Remember that you can seek an answer honestly without asking
the question directly.
Imagine for a moment that an employee you’re managing or a
member of a team you’re leading visits you. He has been working for
you for some time, and you’re generally happy with his work. Today,
he wants to talk about his workplace purpose. Consider two different
tacks he might take:

Conversation starter 1: “I don’t think I fully understand my respon-
sibility for outputs to you and our team. Can you please tell me
what you expect from me?”

Or,

Conversation starter 2: “I’ve been working under the assumption
that my primary responsibilities to you involve publishing current

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