Meetings with the Boss That Change Everything

Your Secret Weapon to Advancing Your Career One Meeting at a Time

Many people get nervous when thinking about meeting with their bosses but this is a shame. A meeting with your boss is a huge opportunity. If you want to know how to make the most of these meetings and lead your career in the direction you’d like, keep reading.

Few people are lucky enough to know their boss before the hire, unless you were recruited by them personally, so you are often going into a new and unfamiliar situation with little to nothing to go by to make it easier. But follow my tips and you should be going into the lion’s den with more confidence to make a great first impression and build a positive relationship.

Get the Facts From The Recruiter

Information is power. Ask the recruiter who the hiring manager is who you’d be reporting to for the role and if there are any qualities in the candidate that he or she particularly values. Often, recruiters work long-term with the same hiring manager and fill many roles so they know exactly what kind of feedback he or she sends. This serves to your advantage to ask the recruiter directly.

Research Your Boss’ Background Before You Start

Equipped with a name and title, you are at an advantage. Now is the time to do your research. Luckily, everyone is ‘googleable’. A great resource is Linkedin. You can see your future boss’ entire curriculum vitae. You may also see which common connections or pasts you two share. Maybe you both attended the same university or formerly worked at the same company. Once, I discovered my future boss and I were both active volunteers for the same charity. Look for commonalities as “ice breakers” and to build the relationship.

Research Your Boss’ Team Before You Meet

Know your boss’ role in the ORG chart. This means knowing who your bosses’ boss is as well as who else reports to your boss. You can often get this information from HR when you start. Many companies have an Intranet with a directory and all the names and roles. While this information may seem that important, it actually is and I’ll explain a bit later how to use it.

Make a Strong First Impression

Your non-verbal communication is just as important as your verbal one: a firm handshake, direct eye contact, a genuine smile, standing and sitting straight, looking poised and confident, professional dress and good personal grooming are all things that will influence what your new boss thinks of you on Day One. It is worth doing some interview training with a career coach for feedback on how you come across and tips to improve. Never underestimate the importance of this since throughout your career, you will use these skills over and over again.

Practice Excellent Communication Skills

No one likes to hear someone muttering or mumbling or giving incoherent answers or looking downcast yet when one is nervous or unprepared, such as a meeting with a new boss, this can very well happen. Regardless of your job title, communication skills will always be highly desirable and appreciated. Again, a good career coach is a worthy investment to prepare yourself, especially for the first meeting, but will also be a priceless investment for your career overall.

Show Up Prepared

Different bosses will handle meetings with employees differently. Some have clear materials they want to review and explain to you while others are more passive and expect you to come with questions. To make sure your meetings go off without a hitch, especially in the beginning, I would advise checking in with your boss two to five days prior to the meeting to confirm if there is anything particular you should prepare. At least, that way you can set expectations, especially if you just started and don’t know how your boss likes to conduct meetings.

Listen Attentively

Nothing will impress more than giving your boss your full, undivided attention. Leave your phone at your desk and bring a notepad to jot down notes. Make good eye contact and nod once in a while. If something is unclear, don’t interrupt but jot it down to ask once your boss finishes. Usually, after speaking, your boss will ask “Is everything clear to you?” or “Do you have any questions for me?” That is your queue to briefly recap what he or she said and inject any questions where you need more clarifications.

Time is Money

 It’s important to be respectful of time and mindful of getting through the agenda so ask in the beginning if it isn’t already clear how much time your boss has. Just confirm. That way, you can better structure the meeting and keep yourself on-track.

End the Right Way

Always end your meeting with asking about next steps. Even if it is a quick “Next week, same time?” it is good to plan what needs to happen following this meeting. You can also repeat something you’ve discussed like “I’ll work on that report we discussed and send it to you to EOD tomorrow.”

Build Rapport

Your boss is someone you want to be on good terms with so use the time together to build this relationship. During the entire meeting, there may be small opportunities, especially in the beginning and the end of the meeting, for a kind word, small talk or just adding a personal tone.

To resume, don’t be afraid of meetings with your boss. Prepare yourself well and they will be something to look forward to as well as help you in your career.

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