How to Request a Meeting With the Boss

Get to know your boss.

Landing your dream job is only half the battle. To maintain your professional career, you need interpersonal relationships. Build relationships with coworkers and your boss. Quintcareers.com suggests keeping your boss informed of everything regarding your projects and performance. Meet with your boss often to build rapport, review performance and help you reach career goals.

Instructions

Request a Meeting With the Boss

1. Check your boss' schedule with a secretary or assistant. Many company executives have personal assistants or secretaries whose job is to maintain their rigorous schedules. To show consideration for your boss' hectic schedule, ask the secretary what days are available. The secretary or personal assistant may have the authority to schedule your meeting with the boss without his immediate consent. Once you are included in the calendar, make sure to keep your appointment as another sign of respect for your boss' time.

2. Write a formal meeting request letter to your boss. In the same way you wrote your cover letter for the job interview, write a letter to your boss detailing the reasons you desire a meeting. Use a formal heading and professional language to show your boss how seriously you take his or her time. In your letter, begin with positive comments. Do not start a rant about your complaints. For example, begin by stating how much you enjoy the challenging atmosphere and supportive coworkers. Ask your boss when he is free to meet with you. Don't forget to include your contact information at the end such as phone numbers and email addresses.

3. Send a short email request for a meeting. Do some research around the office with coworkers and other executives. Ask them about the best way to contact the boss. If your boss is fastest to reach by email, you have the opportunity to write a short email request. The subject of the email should be formal. For example, Jillian Rogers-Meeting Request. In the body of the email, keep the length to 100 words. Emails are different from written letters because they can be read on the go from a cell phone or personal device. Quickly address your reasons for requesting a meeting and ask for an available time.

4. Call your boss for a lunch meeting. Organize your thoughts on paper before calling your boss. Write down the reason you are calling and the reasons for requesting a meeting. Be specific in your request. For example, "I would like to meet with you over lunch on Friday to discuss my recent project." Use cordial greetings and closings in the phone message. Leave your contact information and remember to speak slowly and confidently.

5. Follow-up with tasks after your meeting. If your meeting was successful, you have left with a list of solutions or actions for your problem. Your boss may have given you specific tasks to accomplish. Follow through with your agreed-upon tasks so your boss will be inclined to meet with you again. Also, send a thank-you letter or email to your boss for taking time out of her schedule to meet with you. Mention specific things you talked about in the meeting and how it helped to improve your work performance.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be polite and respectful to your boss.

• Do vent or complain about office issues to your boss. Come up with possible soultions for your problems and share them with your boss.

References

• Office Pro Magazine: SAME JOB, NEW BOSS
• Dumb Little Man: 10 Tips for a Successful Meeting With The Boss
• Quint Careers: Your First Days Working at a New Job

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in Spanish