Upcoming Meeting With Boss

Question

Hello. I am an entry-level employee who works part-time at a news network. The person who hired me for the role was reassigned to another department within the company. I was assigned to a boss that I have never even met during the coronavirus pandemic. I have only spoke to them two to three times by phone. It will now be six months I have worked there and  the second quarter check-in meeting is inching closer by the day, My question is: What should an entry-level employee do if their boss does not have any other employment opportunities for them outside of the job they have been hired to do? How should I prepare for a quarterly meeting with a boss that have never met formally face-to-face and does not even review my work or provide regular feedback? How should I prepare for their response, especially when they say, 'Sorry, there is nothing I can do for you. We do not have any opportunity for you.'. Thank you.

Aly Brine · Answer

Hi there! Since this will be your first check-in meeting with this boss, take a different perspective on the start of the meeting and use it as a get to know one another meeting. Yes, you've been working for them for a little bit but if you haven't done so already, you can use this time to get to know them a bit further, their background and then take the time to talk through what you've done at the company and what some of your career goals are. You can also assess their expectations for you in your role and how they see you moving forward. Your manager is just as responsible for helping you to develop as you are for advocating for yourself in these discussions!

Clydene Horrigan · Answer

I’m curious why you believe  your boss can’t or won’t help you? Has something happened to lead you to this conclusion? Maybe if we understand this we can help guide you.

One thing I’ve learned is that not all promotions happen with your boss. You can your mark at the company in many ways.

1. Do your job well-. Don’t  just do the minimum, but actually seek ways to do extra things that help your boss. If you make their job easier, they will come to think of you when they need something.
2. Collaborate with  people in other departments to expand your network in the company. This may be harder right now because you may not have the exposure to them if you’re all working from home. Doing this could help when a new position opens in another department and maybe they will think of you or at least already be aware of you if you approach them about an opening.

In both instances you are working to get noticed and build relationships. I have  had success with both of these techniques.

Natalie Dunbar · Answer

Great advice on changing perspectives on this meeting! As you think of ways you can do that, perhaps the following questions/suggestions will help:

1. Do you still have contact with/access to the person who originally hired you? If you do - and if they know your current boss - perhaps they might be able to provide some insight on how to prepare for this meeting.

2. An approach I found to be helpful with a manager who was chronically unavailable (except for monthly or quarterly meetings) was going in prepared with a list of things I wanted to discuss.

In my situation, my manager was overworked, always running from meeting to meeting, and never gave their full attention to what little time we did have together. So instead of hoping they would come prepared, I created a list of talking points that included all of the things I wanted to discuss, starting with the most important first (just in case our time was cut short).

I waited until the manager made their 'opening statements,'  then I said something along the lines of, 'I've come prepared with a list of topics I'd like to cover so that we can make the best use of our time.'

3. You also posed the question, 'What should an entry-level employee do if their boss does not have any other employment opportunities for them outside of the job they have been hired to do?'

Was there an expectation when you were hired that you would work in your current role for a specific amount of time and then be eligible to move on to another role? If you have that in writing, or if you can outline your understanding of any conversation you had with the hiring manager (or HR), bring that to the meeting and be prepared to discuss that as well.

Good luck with the meeting! If you have the opportunity, please let us know how it went.

Renee Radcliff Sinclair · Answer

This is going to be a great meeting!  As noted, taking a few minutes to start to get to know each other is key.  But I would also use this opportunity to check in on your job -- you might lead with, 'When I got this job, this was my job description and these areas were described as those of greatest importance.  What would be your priorities for me?  Are they the same?  Are you thinking about other priorities I should be aware of?'  Followed by, 'What do you think success looks like for someone in my role?'  These questions will stimulate a lot of conversation and make you look like (because you are!) you're really looking for ways to be of value to the company.  End with something like, 'How can I make your life easier?'  You're going to learn a lot in this meeting and your new boss is going to get to know you a little bit.  This is all good.  In fact, it is awesome.  Have a great meeting!

Upcoming Meeting With Boss

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