Why this matters
You need to have regular feedback from your boss that you’re on the right track or get guidance to course correct. This is going to be a key part of your performance review conversation later.
Come ready to update your boss with what they want to know (even if it is the stuff you think they shouldn’t care about and leave to you to just handle.
Come ready to update your boss with what you think they should know.
Get clarity on anything you’re uncertain about.
Ask open-ended for any feedback (“what feedback do you have for me?”, not “do you have feedback for me?”).
Come ready to share what you’re working on next. Though, ideally, you’re using some kind of project management or goal-setting software where the high level updates are communicated and you can skip the redundancy of covering that in this meeting.
You might say, “I already have way too many meetings.” That may be, but that doesn’t mean skipping a meeting you should have is going to help anything.
You own this meeting; you send the calendar invitation, not your boss.
This way, you don’t get the no-notice (and probably frequent) calendar event cancelation or change. I’ve had bosses before that I was shocked when we actually kept our scheduled meeting time or didn’t cut it short because they had something else to do.
You need to take notes
I know some people say they feel it suggests you’re not paying attention.
I never understood that argument.
Me taking notes is the supreme form of attention and interest in what you’re telling me.
That said, sure, there may be the moments or topics where you do want just face-to-face attention, where you’re not typing; when you know it’s that time, close the laptop; otherwise, take notes.
I recommend Roam Research.
If you want an AI notekaer, I think Granola AI is the best.
Either way, create a shared version with your boss. Then, you’ll have the same reference point for feedback shared and decisions made.
That feedback throughout the quarter will be extremely valuable to you to compare to your performance review at the end of the quarter.
When to push back
Like job descriptions, goals are about what need to get done, what the priorities and what success looks like. Goals shouldn’t define how you’re going to achieve them. You don’t know yet. Goals need to focus on the outcome, not the input (the work you did toward the goal).
If your boss likes the idea of you having goals and then decides to email you a long doc with what they think your goals are, you either want to push back, or look for another job. This needs to be a conversation; you need to be able to have input here.
Your goals are the bigger pieces of work you’re going to deliver, not all the little things. Emailing a weekly report to your boss isn’t a goal; that’s just ongoing work.
Avoid copy-pasting from Claude or Chat on what your goals are. Ideally, a goals conversation with your manager is going to drive both of you to actually think about what’s important. It shouldn’t be arbitrary; you’re not checking a box, just to say you have goals. You’re asking your manager to create agreement and shared understanding of what your success looks like.