A manager who has supervised 100 people in her career suggests asking these 5 questions to her employees.

Christine Cruzvergara has overseen more than 100 individuals in her career, spanning both universities and corporate settings. However, transitioning into a leadership role proved challenging.

In 2011, Cruzvergara became a first-time manager after being hired as an assistant director at a university and inheriting a team where some of her staff members were significantly older and more senior than her.

One of the most important lessons Cruzvergara learned was how to establish rapport and credibility with her new subordinates. She discovered this through a difficult early encounter.

Hannah, who had been passed up for the manager job, began working under Cruzvergara's supervision. During their first meeting, Cruzvergara delivered some critical feedback and noticed that Hannah's "effusive and outgoing personality" vanished right away.

Building trust and understanding with a new report requires more than just informally chatting with them before becoming their boss, as Cruzvergara learned from her experience with Hannah.

5 questions every boss should ask

From then on, Cruzvergara began asking each new employee five crucial questions during their initial meeting.

1. What do you want, need, and expect from your supervisor?
2. What are your pet peeves?
3. What is your preferred way of receiving positive feedback? How do you typically respond to critical feedback? And what is your preferred method of receiving constructive feedback?
4. How do you like to be recognized when you do good work?
5. How can I assist you with your professional goals this year?

Before their initial formal one-on-one meeting, Cruzvergara provides her new employees with a list of questions to answer during their chat.

Cruzvergara states that discussing this matter openly has several advantages. Firstly, it establishes the tone and conveys to your staff that you value their opinions, are open to their input, and are dedicated to their achievement.

As a boss, you'll receive a concise overview of how to communicate with your employee, whether it's providing praise or making adjustments to their work. This streamlines the process of delivering feedback efficiently, based on the employee's needs, and paves the way for more in-depth discussions and improvements in the future.

By engaging in the practice, employees can enhance their self-awareness by reflecting on their work methods, interpersonal interactions, and feedback management.

Cruzvergara says, "I've never had a supervisor ask me these things before, and I always find it refreshing when someone does."

One conversation can fast-track months of working together

Understanding employees' year-long goals, whether it's daily tasks like improving email management or larger objectives like enhancing public speaking skills, allows Cruzvergara to identify each person's priorities and provide guidance to help them progress. This understanding also shows employees that she is dedicated to their growth and development.

Cruzvergara suggests that discussing your own management style can help employees learn how to work with you more effectively.

""Our first meeting helped us both understand each other better, and we were able to accelerate our working relationship by explicitly discussing certain topics and setting a positive course," Cruzvergara explains."

The following week, Hannah and Cruzvergara met again.

"As it turns out, she had a completely different takeaway. She told me she loved getting feedback and believed she had reacted well to my critique. When I told Hannah what I had witnessed, she thanked me for letting her know and admitted that she didn't realize how she had come across. Admittedly, it was a difficult conversation. But it cleared a path for us to have less awkward — and more substantive — exchanges later on."

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