5 Questions Every New Manager Should Ask

Earlier in my career, I was a journalist. As a correspondent working in a series of countries that were completely foreign to me, I learned the fastest way to get a lay of the land was to have big eyes and big ears. I'd watch all that was around me - and listen to intently to all that was said. And I'd ask questions every opportunity I got. The key was to be curious first, correspondent second. I needed to educate myself before I could educate others through my reporting.

Years later, as a young manager, I remember worrying about what to do on my first day. How would I get a handle on the environment, my staff and my superiors? How could I make sure I did a good job in leading others? Having no idea, I decided to treat the office like the foreign country it was to me. I sat down with everyone on my team, pad of paper in hand, and asked them all about themselves, the office and their work. It turned out that just like most people, they loved an audience. They appreciated the chance to talk to someone who actually listened - and I learned an incredible amount. It was a good way to start a relationship with my colleagues and a great way to prepare myself to work well with them.

I've repeated this process in every job I've had, and over time I've settled on five questions that help me get to know my colleagues, understand how I can be helpful, and surface what could catalyze or confound our collective success. Here is what I ask:

1. Tell me about how you came to be at this company/organization.

This question is my favorite. People often tell much of their life stories, and they share what drew them to their job in the first place. This question yields information on surprising talents, uncovers interesting dimensions of people, and reveals common ground. It also often shows what inspires and motivates your team - which is critical to know as a manager.

2. What is working here?

This question reveals potential bright spots. It also shows what people really like about the organization and their job, which is important for any manager to know.

3. What is not working so well?

I'm always surprised by how honest people are in responding to this question. They are usually quite forthcoming about what needs improvement. Some people are constructive and insightful in their responses, others are petty. How they answer the question tells you a lot about the person and the organizational environment as a whole.

4. What do you hope I will do here?

This question is critical to knowing what kind of help people want. It brings out the role people hope you will play and the changes that they think you should make. Even if people are guarded in their answers, that in itself tells you a lot about the level of wariness you face.

5. Is there anything you hope I will not do?

This question might prompt insights on what people fear and dislike - as well as positive forces people don't want you to undo. You aren't promising that you won't make unpopular decisions in asking this question - but at least you'll know what decisions might be.

In asking all of these questions, it's wise to remind people before and after the conversation that the goal is to learn from them and get their valued perspective on ways to work well together. You need to mean that when you say it. This isn't about gathering intelligence - it's about building a collective intelligence to make everyone successful. And it isn't about hearing - it's about listening. Questions only matter when you think about the answers.