Bringing up about your past to your current manager

Question

Preplounge,

This isn’t exactly a case-related question, but more about career and personal development. I know this is probably not the exactly the type of question often talk about in this forum, but I trust the overall quality and experience people in this forum can bring. So here you go:

I recently started at a new firm and got a new manager. He’s a pretty laid-back guy who tries to build close relationships with everyone on the team, regardless of level. He’s honest, gives direct feedback, but is also mindful of how people might feel. It’s clear he wants to be approachable and easy to work with—not just someone who’s “the boss.”

At first, I didn’t think much about anything outside of work when it came to him. But he’s made an effort to get to know me—asking about my career goals, how I feel about the work, and even non-work stuff. In a recent 1:1, he told me he wants me to take more ownership and maybe even help lead the project we’re working on.

I don’t have a problem with the work itself or stepping up, but I’m still pretty new—to the company, the team, and honestly, I don’t fully know my manager yet. On top of that, I had a rough experience at my last job. I struggled there and was eventually pushed out because my manager thought I was underperforming. That experience has made me more cautious and less confident when it comes to taking initiative.

I actually like my new manager and appreciate the support he’s shown, but I can sense he’s starting to get confused or impatient with how passive I seem.

Would it be a good idea to open up a bit about my past experience, so he has a better understanding of where I’m coming from?

Answer 1

Hey,

This is an interesting question, thank you for sharing.

Other coaches may disagree (and there's no right answer), but I don't think it's worth going into the details about your past experience, as there's a risk that he might acquire some unconscious bias that you are a low performer.

I think that you should instead focus your time and energy on addressing your underlying issues around passivity and confidence. There are tangible actions you can take to help you - examples include:

Start every day with a clear to-do list, so that your manager feels you are driving your workstream rather than taking instructions. Be clear on what analysis you will complete today/this week, what data you need, what clients you need to speak to, which meetings to prepare for, and where you are likely to need help.
Always come with a 'first pass' analysis. Rather than waiting for your manager to draw a slide or explain how to do an analysis, write down your idea first. Even if it's completely wrong, it'll show that you're taking initiative. It's also much easier for your manager to coach you after seeing your first attempt.
Over-communicate. Send your manager a slack message explaining the status of your work (and any roadblocks/areas you need help) before he has to chase you. This will give confidence that you are on top of the process.
Own the cadence with him. Decide how often you need to speak to him (1x or 2x per day) and take charge of blocking that time in his calendar
Rigorously seek and address feedback. Set up a weekly feedback call and get his candid feedback on your performance. If you quickly address and internalize the feedback, you will improve much faster.
Build other proactive habits. Circulate notes after key meetings without being asked to. After every key meeting, send a quick slack message saying 'here are the 3 things XYZ I am going to do as a result of this meeting; priority is on X, do you agree?'.

There are several other ways to be successful as a junior consultant. Let me know if you need help, as I have coached a vast number of junior McKinsey staff on this exact topic.

Answer 2

Yes.

It's great that you're asking this question. It shows the fact that you're willing to be vulnerable to grow.

In fact, you don't have to share the full story in detail. You can just tell him that you are ready to try and that you hope you can rely on his support.

I'm sorry to hear about your past experience, but the fact that this new manager is trying to push you to grow is most likely because they feel you have the potential for it.

Best,

Cristian