Check In and Check Up

By Shun McGhee
Contributor, Career Services

My corporate rearing taught me the more I stayed out of my boss’s office, the better it was for me; I considered it as the equivalent of staying under the radar. I saw closed-door conversations with management as a necessary evil and never something an employee should request. Boy was I wrong.

In a panel discussion on a talk show, several business professionals discussed what they considered to be the keys of success. The panelists shared a myriad of tips ranging from making sure you become good at the things your boss is not to staying in a perpetual state of readiness to the power of punctuality. What stood out to me most was one panelist’s belief that employees should have cyclical discussions with their management to gauge their progress.

According to the panelist, scheduling routine meetings with your boss is a great way to determine how your contributions are viewed. These conversations should result in the employee knowing if his or her work is being looked upon favorably, what he or she could be doing to enhance project outcomes, and whether there are any future projects on the horizon.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Request a meeting with your manager. If your boss has an open door policy, go by his or her office and request a meeting.
2. Create an agenda. In your meeting request, include specific items you want to discuss. Managers usually have a lot of meetings, so it will be important to make sure they at least have an outline to help them determine the best time to schedule the meeting.
3. Be sure to inquire about what you can be doing better. There’s always room for growth!
4. Schedule the next meeting before leaving the current meeting. This will help you get in the habit of holding these meetings and receiving feedback.

In conclusion, it is essential to have these cyclical meetings with your supervisor. It will show your management team how committed you are to improving, keep you abreast of your progress, and help you to become a better contributor to you department and organization.