Knowing what your boss’s goals are can help you prioritize your own goals and objectives. It can also help you get on the same page with a common objective. It may also help you understand why your boss makes the decisions they do.
It can be easy to get so stuck in our own little sphere about what we’re doing that we forget about the big picture. Reacquainting yourself with goals for the company as a whole can help change your perspective and make you a better employee. For example, you may see a task as insignificant but seeing how it can affect other departments and the company’s overall success may help improve your commitment to the project.
Constructive criticism or helpful advice is critical to our growth in the workplace. Asking this shows that you want to take initiative on improving your work performance. Your boss may have suggestions that you have not even considered when it comes to being a successful employee.
Maybe there’s training or piece of work equipment that will help improve your job performance. The only catch is you need to get your boss’s approval. Private sit-downs are a great time to bring up these items because it doesn’t put your supervisor on the spot in front of co-workers. Even if the answer is no in that moment, it may put the idea in your boss’s head for the future. Just remember, if you never ask, the answer will always be no.