Writing your managerial user's manual

Posted by: Ben Dattner on July 07

There is increasing interest in the business world in “onboarding”, the process by which managers and executives are oriented to, and integrated into, an organization. Books like “The First 90 Days” by Michael Watkins have become bestsellers, and organizations of all sizes are more mindful than ever about the importance of the first three months at a new job.

One tool that I have found effective in working with new managers and executives is a “Managerial User’s Manual,” a document in which a new leader describes his or her preferences and style to his or her new staff. The benefit of a user’s manual is that it provides a basis for accelerating the “getting to know you” process. Writing a User’s Manual greatly diminishes the possibility that misunderstandings will cause your new staff to view you as a “toxic” boss.

The content of a user’s manual should include what one values, what one is motivated by, and areas for potential misunderstanding. For example, a client of mine wrote a user’s manual in which he let his team know that just because he asks many questions, doesn’t mean that he is skeptical about their capabilities, it is simply his style.

In a sense, any interaction between a new leader and his or her team can be thought of as a cross-cultural communication. After all, the new leader comes from another organizational culture, and possibly also a different national culture as well.

By writing a “user’s manual” in which one conveys valuable information about oneself, the risk that misunderstandings will occur can be greatly reduced. For example, another client wrote in his user’s manual that he was a morning person, and he requested that his new team approach him with issues in the morning rather than in the afternoon. If he had not conveyed that preference, his staff might have approached him in the afternoon and concluded that he did not really want to interact with them or focus on the issues that they were trying to bring to his attention. With many people in career transition these days due to the challenging economy, writing a user’s manual can be a good use of time, not just because when one finds one’s next job the user’s manual can be a useful tool, but also because even in the interviewing process, taking time to reflect on one’s style and preferences can make it easier to prepare for interviews in which prospective employers may assess self awareness and potential leadership skills.