Anticipating obstacles with your manager: what should you agree in advance?

An incomplete file, a delayed delivery or a missing approval can leave an employee unsure whether to act or wait for their manager. SHR’s programme on building an effective relationship with your manager therefore raises a specific question: should you agree in advance on the cue that will trigger action or a request for guidance?

What the literature establishes

Thomas L. Webb and Paschal Sheeran (2006, Psychological Bulletin) synthesised experiments designed to change intentions and subsequently measure behaviour. Their analysis shows that changes in intention do not translate into behavioural changes of the same magnitude. For the relationship with a manager, this suggests distinguishing agreement about what should be done from concrete preparation for doing it.

How “if–then” plans work

Peter M. Gollwitzer and Veronika Brandstätter (1997, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) studied implementation intentions: plans that link an identifiable situation to a specified response. Their findings show that this preparation can facilitate goal achievement, particularly when implementation encounters difficulties. Applied cautiously at work, this means specifying: “If this document is missing when I carry out the check, then I pause this step and contact the designated person.”

The premature conclusion

It would be tempting to conclude that a response should be prepared for every possible incident. These studies justify neither an exhaustive catalogue of procedures nor the removal of professional judgement. A useful plan instead addresses a recurring, recognisable obstacle, with a response that falls within the employee’s authority. (our executive and employee training programmes)

What the evidence cannot guarantee

The cited studies do not directly evaluate conditional plans agreed between employees and managers in Lugano businesses. They therefore do not demonstrate that this practice, on its own, improves the reporting relationship or team performance. A plan also remains incomplete if the designated contact is unavailable or internal rules prohibit the proposed response.

A practical check in Lugano

In a bank, fashion business, trading company or Italian-speaking family SME in Lugano, an employee and their manager can select a recurring obstacle and write a rule in Italian specifying the observable cue, the authorised action and the backup contact. Over four weeks, they can record each occurrence of the cue, the action taken and whether further instructions were needed. The proportion of recorded occurrences handled according to the plan without further instructions provides an indicator of its practical usability, to be reviewed alongside any errors or rework. Within the SHR programme, this exercise addresses a specific aspect of the relationship: preparing for autonomous action without assuming that authority has implicitly been delegated. To go further: explore the Building an Effective Relationship with Your Manager training in Lugano in the canton of Ticino, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.

In pictures: Building an Effective Relationship with Your Manager in Lugano

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