By Gloria Eid, Student Advisor for co-op students working in Western Canada
What does it take to set up a clear, open working relationship with your boss when you’re new to the job?
I’ve met with over 300 co-op students on their work terms in the past two years, and I discover time and time again that the difference for those who have an engaged, supportive working relationship with their managers is that they discuss expectations and communication styles early on in their work term.
As I’m preparing for my work term consultations with these students and their supervisors in the coming months, I’ve put together a conversation framework that I think is ideal to initiate during the first few weeks of getting acquainted with your new manager and teammates.
Situate
Ask questions that allow you to learn more about the role you were hired to play for the company. What’s the company’s current’s state? How does your boss see the current situation: is it in startup mode, change management, growth and scaling, or sustaining success and momentum? What’s been the history before getting to this point? What are the challenges now? How does your boss see your role providing value? What resources do you have to fulfill your responsibilities? It’s important that you learn your manager’s perspective on the work so that you can respond to and address their priorities and needs as you develop into your role.
Secure
This conversation allows you to understand and share expectations with your new manager. What are the few key goals or projects that your boss needs you to accomplish in the first 30 days? 60 days? What will success look like by the end of your work term? How will it be measured? Not only does establishing expectations help you feel more secure in your role, when you have a clear idea of what you're moving towards, you have a benchmark to refer to when evaluating the progress and results of your work. These conversations should happen regularly, and at the very least, addressed again at the midpoint of your work term so that you have time to determine what’s still realistic and to reestablish goals before the end of your contract.
Style
Communication is the foundation of every relationship, personal or professional. It’s essential that you understand how you and your manager will interact throughout your work term. How do they prefer to communicate? Face-to-face? Emails? Instant chat? How often will you check in? What kinds of decisions or meetings do they want to be involved in? How about you — what do you need from them in order to get the best version of you at work? Identify how your styles may differ and how you can find ways to accommodate this as you interact. Flex your adaptability muscle on this one and you'll learn a lot!
Spread
Finally, don’t hesitate to discuss the ways you hope the work experience will contribute to your personal and professional development. What projects or assignments seem exciting? What areas are you looking forward to getting involved in? What contribution are you intending to make? What courses or programs or research could help you strengthen your competencies while on the job? Reflect often with your boss on how you’re spreading your skills, growth, and knowledge and make sure to address your lessons learned and key takeaways as you wrap up your experience at the end of your work term.
Next Steps
These conversations truly “set the stage” for your new working relationship. Establishing the foundation has always served me well in my working relationships with colleagues at every level, and I encourage you to use this framework with anyone you work with closely. Some managers may initiate these conversations with you, but not always, so remember you have the full agency to request the time and ask the questions that will help you learn what it takes to succeed on the job and build productive, supportive working relationships — not only in your time as a student employee, but as a young professional, emerging leader, and beyond.