Questions for New Managers to Improve Performance: The Top 5

5 Essential Questions for New Managers to Improve Performance

New managers often step into their roles eager to prove themselves and drive their teams to success. But ambition alone isn’t enough. People manager assessment center data tells us that the most effective leaders understand that asking the right questions for new managers to improve performance early — and consistently — can be the difference between average results and a high performing team. These are the questions every new manager should focus on to unlock performance, engagement, and growth.

The New Manager Essentials
Every new manager should start with the fundamentals:

• Meet with their boss to understand how their success will be measured.
• Participate in customized new manager training designed to teach effective management strategies within the context of your organization.
• Invest time in understanding your team — their strengths, motivations, and challenges.
• Schedule recurring one-on-one meetings with each direct report to build trust, clarify expectations, and set the stage for ongoing performance.

Five Essential Questions for New Managers to Improve Performance
Google’s research into high- versus low-performing teams revealed what truly drives success. Based on those insights, here are five practical questions new managers can use in one-on-one meetings with team members to strengthen performance, engagement, and trust from the very start.

1. Do You Have Confidence in the Team’s Ability to Deliver?
   This question gauges the team’s overall reliability. High-performing teams consistently depend on one another to deliver quality results — on time and within budget — while maintaining accountability at every level.
2. Can You Ask Questions, Share Ideas, and Take Risks Without Fear?
   This question assesses the team’s openness to innovation and diverse perspectives. High-performing teams foster an environment where members feel safe to speak up, experiment, and collaborate on better ways to achieve results—without fear of judgment or embarrassment.
3. Do You Clearly Understand the Team’s Goals, Each Member’s Role, and How Everyone Contributes to Success?
   This question helps assess whether the team has clarity around priorities, roles, and responsibilities. The most effective managers set clear goals, define accountabilities, and align individual strengths with specific tasks.

   As you learn more about your team’s skills and preferences, tasks may shift — but roles should always remain transparent. When everyone knows their contribution matters and how it fits into the bigger picture, performance and collaboration naturally improve.

4. Do You Feel Your Work Has Clear and Meaningful Purpose?
   Highly engaged employees see a direct connection between their work and the team’s or organization’s goals. When individuals understand the impact of what they do, they contribute more effort, demonstrate greater loyalty, and become advocates for both their team and the organization.
5. Do You Believe the Organization’s Mission Truly Matters?
   This question explores the deeper motivation behind why employees show up each day. High-performing teams are energized when they see that their work makes a meaningful impact and that the organization’s mission genuinely matters.

The Bottom Line
New managers must prioritize understanding their team. Building trust take time, but how you act on the insights you gather will ultimately define your effectiveness as a leader. Success comes not just from asking the right questions — but from turning those answers into meaningful action.

To learn more about questions for new managers to improve performance, download The 6 Management Best Practices that Make the Difference Between Effective and Extraordinary