Working with your manager
Ask your manager how the team is doing
A simple exercise to understand what matters most right now, without putting your manager on the spot
In your next 1:1, ask calmly about the team's priorities and what leadership is focused on, and ask why.
- 15 minutes
- You and your manager
- When things feel shaky
- Conversation
Why this can work
In uncertain times, the most useful question for your manager isn't what's going to happen; it's what matters most right now, and why. They can usually answer that honestly, even when they can't predict anything. The answer tells you where to put your effort, which is the part you control.
Read moreHow to ask your manager about priorities in uncertain times
You’ll come away with a clear picture of your team's priorities, and where your effort helps most.
- Put it on your next 1:1 agenda.
A regular 1:1 keeps it calm. A sudden separate meeting can make it feel more urgent than you mean it to.
To: your managerCould we save ten minutes in our next 1:1 to talk about the team's priorities?
No rush and no worry behind it. I just want my effort pointed where it counts.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Ask about priorities, not predictions.You“What's leadership most focused on right now, and what does that mean for our team?”
- Ask why.You“What's driving that? Knowing the why helps me make better decisions on my own work.”
- Offer to help, then adjust.
Ask where you could be most useful, and shift your week to match. A short note afterward confirming what you heard keeps you both aligned.
You“Is there anything I could pick up that would help the team with that?”
Good times to repeat it: when things feel uncertainafter a big announcement or reorga month later, to see what's shifted
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
The deprioritized list is as useful as the priority list. It tells you what you can let slide without guilt.
What might make this harder
Accept it, then ask a narrower question: what's the one thing they'd most want finished this quarter? That's answerable even when the big picture isn't.
Questions people ask
How do I ask my manager about layoffs?
It usually works better to ask about priorities than about layoffs directly. Your manager may not know, or may not be allowed to say, but they can usually talk about where the team's effort should go.
What should I ask my boss when the company is struggling?
Ask where leadership's attention is, what your team has to get right this quarter, and why. Then ask where you could help most.
Is it okay to ask my manager how the company is doing?
Yes, especially framed around doing your job well. Asking what matters most right now tends to read as focus rather than worry.
How do I know if my job is safe?
No one can promise that, including your manager. What you can find out is where the team's priorities are, and whether your work is aimed at them.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Uncertain times put managers in an awkward spot. Their team wants answers, and they often have fewer than people assume: decisions get made above them, timelines shift, and some of what they know they can't share. A question that asks your manager to predict the future puts them in a corner. A question about priorities lets them be honest.
That's why the shape of the ask matters. What leadership is focused on, what the team most needs to get right, what's slipped down the list: your manager can usually answer these, and the answers are useful. Then ask why. Knowing the reason behind a priority lets you make good calls when things shift again, without asking every time. If the honest answer is we're not sure yet, ask what would make it clearer.
There's a quieter benefit too. Someone who asks calmly about priorities and offers to help reads as steady and useful, at a moment when steadiness is scarce. Calm, specific questions tend to get calm, specific answers. They also leave your manager feeling helped rather than interrogated, which matters when everyone is under strain.
If your relationship with your manager is strained, or they're the source of the uncertainty, take the question elsewhere. A skip-level, a trusted senior colleague or HR may give you a straighter answer than a conversation that's already hard.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with your manager
A few minutes that compound
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- It comes back if it slipsA missed one comes back around instead of disappearing.
- On your recordWhen it's done, it goes on your record with your priorities and progress.
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.