Starting a new job is all about making a good first impression. You have this amazing opportunity to start over—to build strong relationships and set your new career in the right direction—so don’t just enter your new office without a game plan or the same old routine you did before. This means asking a lot of questions as soon as you get started. You may worry about being annoying, but you should ask your boss questions at a new job to understand the inner workings of your new company and also get on your boss’s’ good side. While there are no bad questions, there are some that will boost your reputation better than others. For example, here are four questions to ask your boss in the first few days and weeks if you want to get ahead.

1. “How Are You Doing?”

First off, this shouldn’t be a one-time question. In fact, you should be asking this regularly of your new boss, if not daily. (And hopefully they’re asking the same of you.)

Why? Your boss is probably very busy, very stressed, or in some instances feels ignored or underappreciated, so making them feel noticed is an instant plus for you. And, it gives them a chance to open up. This could lead to more transparency, even more opportunity for you to get involved, and it’s the number one strategy for managing up.

Not every boss is going to take this kind of question and become your new best friend. But at the very least it’s a nice thing to ask and that will help you build rapport.

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