Claude, a manager we knew, was called “The Invisible Man” behind his back. Perhaps without meaning to, this “invisible” manager came off as aloof, too busy, or just plain uninterested every time his assistant manager, James, needed his input. Of course, that didn’t do wonders for their working relationship. On the positive side, James was a go-getter who liked the resulting independence and freedom. But on the negative side, The Invisible Claude was all but unavailable to provide James with regular feedback or guidance. As a result, James wasn’t entirely sure whether or not he was performing his job to Claude’s liking, and he was starting to worry about a pink slip in his future. I suggested to James that he should spark dialogue by asking this question to address Claude’s own concerns:

“Claude, in my position, my three critical objectives are A, B, and C. Which one of these do you feel is the most important?”

James’s question spurred Claude to finally open up about his priorities. In turn, this allowed James to ask further questions that not only clarified what Claude needed from him, but also helped James to eventually shape the role he wanted for himself. This helped the two men to understand each other’s expectations and how to meet them, as well as positioning James as a key player in Claude’s most important projects.