Worried About an Upcoming Skip-Level Meeting? Elaine Varelas Weighs In
Meeting with your boss's boss? Don't fret!
Q: My boss’s boss just scheduled a “skip-level” meeting with me. What are the goals of skip-level meetings—and how could it affect me? I’m worried that if I say something wrong, my boss will get mad at me. Can I actually say anything? Will it be confidential? Should I just say everything is fine?A:
Skip-level meetings are a great way for senior managers to develop better relationships with people they can’t spend as much time with and to find out more about them as people. Senior leaders want to know what’s going on at all levels of the organization, and they especially want to make sure that people feel comfortable and confident in their manager. Skip-levels are a great way to get insight into what is happening. This meeting will give you the opportunity to develop a relationship with your boss’s boss so that if you do ever need to go to a senior member of the team, you have that pipeline in place.
You say you are worried about revealing any negative feedback in the meeting and what the consequences would be. The first question about offering negative feedback is “Did you convey negative feedback to your boss directly?” The way you frame any potential concerns plays a part, too—are you revealing this as negative feedback or are you presenting it as a question or concern you’d like to know more about? The delivery matters—this is not the time or place to complain. You are being introduced to a more senior level within the organization, so you should present yourself in a very positive way, dress professionally, and be ready to talk about things both work and non work related. Most of the time, only some of the conversation will be about work. Take this chance to talk about things you’d like to work on or positive developmental opportunities you’d like to engage in. Even if you have feedback to give, your first skip-level meeting should not be the first place to start airing grievances.
It’s likely you’re not the only one who’s nervous about this meeting. So, what can a company do to minimize the trepidation around going to see the boss’s boss? One thing is to not make a huge deal about the meeting. It doesn’t need to be held in the more senior person’s office nor does it need to be overly formal or require any preparation—it could be a half-hour coffee break at the local coffee shop. Managers should also communicate to their team that they are very comfortable with the meetings and pleased their employees have the opportunity to increase their visibility with more senior people in the company. The intent is to build culture and recognize that every person has multiple dimensions. Think of this as a time to introduce a skill that you don’t get to use in your day-to-day work. Maybe you’re very artistic or can build amazing websites—work that into the conversation! I knew an HR person who spoke French, and when the company was acquired by a French bank, she was selected to go to Paris and act as translator, all because someone found out about this hidden skill. While you may not get a trip to Europe out of your skip-level, you should still think of it as a great opportunity for your career.
A skip-level is not often going to be about a single individual or incident, so confidentiality around sensitive issues shouldn’t be a big concern. It’s a broader organizational investment in culture to demonstrate that leadership is accessible and interested. A skip-level shouldn’t be about negative feedback—if necessary, set up a separate meeting for that—it should be about accessibility, relationship-building, and career opportunities.
