The boss, working late, calls out to her assistant for help. But the assistant hot-footed it out of the office hours ago, at 5:01 P.M. Establish expectations early on: Sit down and make a list together of what each of you needs from the other, says Irma Tyler-Wood, a managing partner at Thought Bridge, a conflict-consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Talk about work styles, pet peeves, and how you will handle crises before they hit. Set a date to check in with each other within one month. If both boss and assistant know the meeting is coming, they won't feel anxious about addressing issues. "It's an exchange, not an evaluation. Half the time, people would improve if they got feedback early enough," says Tyler-Wood.