π§ Making Sense of Your Update Meetings
Out of all the meetings that should be emails, these are definitely not some of them. If done right, it might almost seem like your manager works for you, and make you a shoe-in for sparkly things like promotions and raises.
Thatβs what we want for you here at Ask Your Work Wife, a podcast for ambitious women who want more out of corporate America. New episodes drop Wednesdays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
In today's email:
Read: up your 1:1 game
Listen: optimize your update meetings
Join the convo: work doesn't count unless your manager knows about it
Dive deeper: a course for ambitious professionals who want more out of Corporate America
MAKING SENSE OF YOUR UPDATE MEETINGS
Statuses vs. 1:1s
I have the same meeting with my manager every week. Wtf?
Welcome to corporate America. That lilβ meeting is the second most powerful meeting on your calendar. It's called a Status.
The Work Wife dictionary defines Status meetings as a project update. It's a top-down list of what's going on in your life, what you need to get done, and what you need to get approved. Show and tell how your efforts are impacting the business.
If your manager doesn't know what you're doing, you may as well not be doing it at all.
βHolland
You can have team Status check-ins about what everyone is doing or individual Status reports; both are great and should have established agendas.
Individual Status agenda:
Hot items and core projects
Side projects
Interoffice relationships
What's on the horizon
Address the fires your manager needs to put out first. Under each project, shine an unflattering light on obstacles and in-danger deadlines to reprioritize. Next, discuss any other side projects on your plate. This could be directives from the C-suite or stretch projects. Last, resurface big-picture goals on the horizon, showing your manager you're on top of what's coming down the pipeline. No surprises or wayward ambitions.
Don't BS your agenda. Reference last week's notes when prepping, and make it visible to your manager a day before the scheduled time. Keep the subject line the same, so it's easy to search the whole kit and kaboodle of statuses.
Statuses are how you and your manager align your actions with the goals you've talked about in your 1:1s.
βHolland
Okay, cool, but isn't that a 1:1?
Nope! The Work Wife dictionary defines a 1:1 as a scheduled time for your manager to help you plan what's next, even if that means taking their job.
Your manager is the one who jumps in the ring for you to fight for raises and promotions, usually in meetings you can't be in to advocate for yourself. They can't vouch for your goals if you don't tell them.
Once a month is good, twice a month is better, and once a week is best. If they have to rescheduleβ which they inevitably willβ it's your responsibility to reschedule promptly.
Your manager is the only person at your company who has the insight into you, your work, and your potential that qualifies you for that next step. Prove to them you deserve that.
βHolland
10 Topics for 1:1s
Seek critical feedback
Compensation trajectory
Stretch projects
State of the company
Title trajectory
Team contribution
Management advice
Books recommendations
Proposals to attend conferences and trainings
Mental and emotional health
Let's elaborate on the first four; they're our favs:
Seek critical feedback on your work performance. Make sure your deliverables are top-notch and hitting the mark. Hell, why not even go above & beyond? They can only fight for a raise if you're producing.
Compensation trajectory. Get that bag! Your compensation should reflect those glowing critical feedback reviews from step one. Ask for honesty as to why the raise is slow going and what precisely your manager is doing to negotiate.
Stretch projects. Reach up and stretch for projects. Fight to have something slightly outside your scope that is moving you toward that next career move.
State of the company. The companyβIs it profitable? Is it adjusting to market trends? Should you bundle up for a hiring freeze? Are there extra pressures trickling down from the C-suite affecting your manager? Always better to be in the know.
Set the agenda! Standard etiquette is to send a high-level schedule a day before the meeting. It helps your manager prepare their answers, demonstrates proactivity, and leaves a paper trail they can reference when fighting for your raise.
You cannot make any progress in your career without a 1:1. If your manager is unwilling or capable of meeting regularly, that's a huge red flag, and you gotta GTFO out of that company or division.
βVanessa
Companies need proof to dole out raises and promotions, and the notes from these meetings can be your damning receipts to secure those extra zeros on your paycheck. We promise that if you do this (not always glamorous) weekly work preparing agendas and following up to reschedule, you'll be happier at your current job and make finding another a breeze. It's worth it, and you're worth it!
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Optimize your update meetings
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