Preparing for that meeting with your Boss!

By Zebriod (c) 2007

Imagine your Boss quits and you want his job!

So the big Boss has a few decisions to make, find an outside replacement, promote someone or do the job themselves. But you think you are the best candidate and you want the opportunity, so how best to go about it?

Well first don’t think you’ll get the job by sitting back and doing nothing! Also don’t think you’ll get it by demanding it. It is true the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but not normally in this situation, and if it works you have started off on the wrong foot.

Step 1: So ask for a meeting and prepare for the meeting.

Step 2: The preparation.
The chances are that the Boss will know a little about you but not enough to consider you as qualified or desirable. Therefore consider rule 1:

Rule 1: It is all about them not about you!
You have to set out how you can help them and why your skills, experiences and stability are right for the job. But how do you do this? It is easy to say “I’m a company man” or “I’m a team player” but will this be credible?

Rule 2:
Avoid statements, wrap skills and experiences in specific personnel accomplishments that demonstrate how and why you benefit them. This requires you to sit down and write up each of your accomplishments and extract the benefit the accomplishment demonstrates. It is hard work but it pays off every time.

Rule 3: Don’t forget Rule 1. No me me me….. it is all about them.

Step 3: The meeting. The chances he will need to know why you have asked for the meeting so he too can prepare, in which case you should tell him, carefully. Once in the meeting here are some things to remember:
- Display good listening skills with good eye contact, good posture and energy. Never over speak the boss.
- Use a question to answer a question. This helps avoid being too opinionated which can be dangerous. We don’t want to be a yes man, but we don’t want to make a mistake either.
- Remember rule 1! You should be exhausted after a meeting like this, lots of brain power is needed.