Asking the Right Questions (1 OF 3)  Most managers will be called on several times over the course of a career to take on a new department, company, group, or division. Handling the "people side" of such a transition can be a challenge. Fear, resentment, and all varieties of expectations are likely lurking within the new staff. How can a manager overcome these and establish a winning relationship with a new team? My answer is by asking a series of targeted, open-ended questions. Through these questions a manager can enter a this new situation with an existing team and get to know the staff, establish credibility and rapport, and discover key problem areas. The questions are: •  What do our customers want? •  What are we good at? •  What do you want? •  What one thing would you change? •  What else would you like to share with me? •  What questions do you have for me? It is important that these questions are asked in a way that does not convey any expectations of a "right answer." The questions must be truly open-ended and the manager must ask them and listen carefully, without passing judgment or replying in any way other than to further open up the conversation. Let’s look at each question and what it accomplishes in turn.