Meeting with your boss can cement your professional relationship and give you the opportunity to ask questions or address concerns. Because many bosses have hectic schedules and several employees to oversee, it’s important to respect your supervisor’s time and approach her in a way that meshes with her working and communication style. If you do this, your next meeting with your boss could help set you apart from everyone else on the team.

Setting Up an Effective Meeting

Consider your supervisor’s preferred communication style when contacting her to schedule a meeting. Perhaps she prefers email to phone calls, or asks that all correspondence and requests go through her assistant. Unless it’s an urgent matter, submit your request well in advance of when you’d like to meet. Also, create an agenda for the meeting so you can tell your boss what you want to discuss. This gives her time to prepare, and lets her know how much time to dedicate to the meeting. When meeting with a new boss, schedule as soon as possible after she takes over. This helps you make an immediate good impression and get off on the right foot. You can also take what you learned about her personality and communication and working styles and apply them so you interact with her and perform your work in a way she’ll notice and appreciate. For your current boss, get in the habit of meeting with her regularly, whether that’s once a week or once a month.