What to ask your manager in First 1:1?
Your goal in your first 1:1 with you manager is to learn what makes them tick. To learn what drives them. To learn what they find is helpful. To learn how they define success. You want to know all of these things to set yourself up for success. Added bonus, people like to talk about themselves and will naturally like someone who wants to know what they need.
You might consider asking:
What are your top goals for the year?
How do you measure success against that goal?
What keeps you up at night?
What are your biggest challenges?
What is your working style?
What did your most successful PM (or direct) do?
Note, some managers will have the 1:1 packed with their instructions, so you might have to ask these over the first few 1:1s. But ask as early on in your working relationship as you can so that you can manage up.
Dare Olonoh, VP of Sales at Salesforce suggests you ask the following 5 questions.
What are the things you care most about and are trying to accomplish in your role?
What are your biggest challenges?
How would you describe my role and responsibilities?
What are your pet peeves that I should avoid?
Who is someone you had a great working relationship with that reported to you and why did it work so well?
You can see a pattern between the two groups of questions. Learn what you need to know about keeping your boss happy and working well with them. If you want to get promoted, it isn’t just about working hard, it is also about working smart.
If I had followed the above when I started at Amazon, I would probably still be there today.
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