How to Ask the Boss to Lunch

Asking the boss to lunch can be a tricky exercise of balancing professionalism and a friendly, confident approach. It's important when going out to dine one-on-one not to stray into social territory, but at the same time you want to keep the lunch pleasant. Follow a these steps to maintain your balance on this social tightrope and successfully ask the boss to lunch.

Instructions

1. Have a purpose. One of the most important points in asking your boss to lunch is asking for a specific business reason. Whether it's discussing a new client or talking about that raise you mentioned some time ago, it's important to come to the boss with a specific business purpose so that the parameters of the lunch are clear from the outset.

2. Ask well in advance. It's good to let the boss know at least a few days in advance so that the request doesn't strike your boss as strange or impulsive. Asking in advance will provide a regularity to the lunch and give the boss an opportunity to schedule the right amount of time.

3. Make the request in person. Asking in person will allow you to use facial expression, voice tone and body language to give the right impression about the lunch. An email, on the other hand, can be interpreted incorrectly so it's best to ask face to face.

4. Ask at the right time. Requesting a lunch in the middle of a harried season or crisis is not the best idea. Instead, ask when things are relaxed enough to spare the time. This will make both you and your boss feel comfortable about the meeting.