Help! My busy boss never has time for me!
It’s 3:30 PM and you’ve been staring at the instructions for a project from your boss for twenty-five minutes. You keep re-reading your hand scribbled notes hoping to make more clarity out of what you wrote down in a rush. But you’re just no sure how to proceed.
The panic is setting in. You’re realizing you don’t even know what step one of this project is, but the deadline is looming. Your heart is pounding. Your palms are sweaty. You can feel the scratchiness in the back of your throat.
Do you ask your boss for help?
The last time you did that, she said she’d set a meeting with you later in the week to talk through your progress, but she didn’t really realize just how lost you were.
You don’t want to look dumb. You don’t want to bother her unless it’s truly important. But here you are thinking, “I don’t even know where to start!”
You do what any responsible, smart, and capable person does, you walk up to her office and knock on the door. She calls you in but doesn’t turn from her computer where she’s busily writing an email. That’s when you break her concentration with your simple request, “I need more guidance. How do I do….”
Just as she’s about to say something her assistant buzzes her telling her an important call from a key client is on the line. You retreat immediately and close her door. You know this client is important and she needs to talk to them.
You’re back where you started.
You’re probably feeling pretty defeated right now. You’re probably thinking your boss just doesn’t have time for you and that you’re never going to be able to make any progress without her time and attention.
I’ve been in your shoes. But I can tell you there is a way to make it easier on yourself. Here’s my step-by-step guide to setting yourself up for success when managing up your to your busy boss:
step one:
Set a regular meeting with your boss every week for thirty minutes. I recommend once a week, but if you can’t get once a week, then go for once every other week. Note: It’s very likely if your boss is truly busy that she will run a little late to this meeting or have to cut this meeting a little short some days. Be gracious and understanding with her, but be sure you get at least 15-minutes. Otherwise, reschedule the meeting for another day in the week and hold her accountable to it.
step two:
Create an agenda and keep your boss and you on task. There is nothing worse than a meeting without a purpose. Make sure you focus that little time you do have on the important stuff. Hit the high notes and keep your discussion points concise and to the point. Remember that your boss is busy and going off topic or getting lost in the details that aren’t important is a red flag for turning your must-happen meeting into a non-essential one.
step three:
Don’t assume your boss has all the answers. If your boss assigned you with this project, she may have done so because she’s not sure what step one even looks like. She may be counting on your to do some research, pull together a basic structure or plan, and do the leg work to bring this idea to fruition. Come ready to ask clarifying questions and don’t be disappointed if its clear your boss isn’t sure on how the project should be executed.
step four:
Really stuck? Craft a “this is how I would do it” plan. Take the time to map out how you would approach the problem, what resources you think you may need, and what information you need from your boss to get the job done. For example, if you’re planning a major event and you need access to your boss’ Outlook Address Book, then be sure to clarify this with her and the importance of getting this information in a timely manner as it relates to the success of the event.
step five:
Send a recap of what you discussed and agreed to with your boss. Post-meeting it’s a good idea to send out an email recapping at a high level the following: any decisions that were made, any tasks you each agreed to take on, and any pending items that will need to be discussed at the next meet. Documenting this information will make it clear to your boss and to you what was agreed to and what expectations are for each of you. This is a great way to keep the lines of communication open, ensure you have a record of what was discussed, and can easily communicate with other teams and/or colleagues about decisions made in your meeting.
But what happens if your boss doesn’t seem to give you the time of day? Well, this is a larger problem. Even busy bosses understand that their employees need touch-points with them. If your busy boss hasn’t made this realization, then a one-on-one conversation with your boss about the need for regular touch points is essential. The longer you wait, the more cumbersome this conversation could become and more alone you will feel.
So, the next time you start to feel like you feel the panic set in because you’re just not sure what step to take on that project, don’t lose your head. Setting a regular weekly meeting with your boss and making it a point to stick to it, will make the communication between your boss and you so much smoother.
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Hi, I’m Jessica
As an internationally recognized legal marketer and law firm executive, Jessica has spent her career helping attorneys pitch their services and their resumes to some of the largest global companies and CEOs in the world. Her specialty: Helping smart professionals be unforgettably hire-able. Whether you are seeking your first job or a career change, Jessica empowers you step-by-step. Execute simple, yet practical and actionable tasks to get your resume past the stack and into the hands of your next manager.
