Your company just took on a new project and you believe you’re a great fit for that project. Whether you want to handle the full project or you just want to get on the project team, you may need to contact your boss.
Ordinarily, speaking face-to-face with your boss would be the best option, but in this day and age where remote work has become common, you may not be able to have a face-to-face meeting with them.
That said, it doesn’t stop you from requesting a Zoom meeting to discuss the topic. But even in such cases, you’d still need to send them an email to schedule the meeting.
This is where we come in. We’ve already created templates that you can modify and send to your boss. Whether you want to ask for a meeting to discuss the project allocation or you want to inform them directly, we’ve got you covered.
Additionally, we’ve also included some tips that could be helpful whenever you need to reach out to your boss.
Tips For Emailing Your Boss
While tools like Slack and Teams are leveraged for easier communication across organizations worldwide, emails continue to be used in these organizations, especially when communicating with a supervisor over formal correspondence.
But unlike sending emails to coworkers where you can be informal and not worry about mistakes, you should be careful when writing to your Boss. Let’s look at a few things to keep in mind.
Clear Reasons
Let them know exactly why you’re sending them the email. If you want to request for a meeting to discuss the project allocation, you can include it in the email.
If you simply want to sell yourself as the best person to lead the project or to consider yourself as a team member, you should make this known in the email. Don’t beat around the bush.
Let them know what skills make you fit for the role. Better yet, prepare a pitch to show them you’re serious about the project.
Accept A “NO”
Your manager’s response may be contrary to what you were expecting. You should be prepared for a “NO”. They may already have someone in mind for the project.
Sell yourself and let them know what you bring on board and how you can succeed in the role. Just prepare yourself for rejection as that’s a possibility in these cases.
Keep in mind that, your manager will always put the company’s interest ahead of your personal interest.
Clear Subject Line
While you would not be able to include all relevant information in the subject line of the email, it should present the general purpose of the email within a few words.
This helps your boss or supervisor locate the email, understand the possible content even before reading the full message and finally ascertain the importance and urgency of the email.
After all, your boss would most likely have a busy schedule. A clear subject line would help them identify the urgency of the email especially when they have a boatload of work to get done.
Examples:
Project Allocation Request {{Project title}}
Use Proper Name
Coming down to the body of the email, you should identify the name your boss wishes for you or the general employee body to call them.
If they prefer to be addressed by their first names, you should address them as such. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure how they want to be addressed, you can either ask your colleagues or simply use your boss’ surname.
Keep in mind your workplace culture at this point. Some workplaces encourage informal communication between all members of the organization.
For informal workplaces, you start with:
Good {{morning/afternoon/evening}} {{Boss’ firstname}}
Hi {{Boss’ firstname}}
In the case of a very formal workplace where you aren’t sure of the best way to address your boss, you can simply start with:
Dear {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
Hello {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
Set Tone
Maybe something happened at the workplace that you didn’t like or there’s something you find annoying. You should always mind your tone in your professional emails.
It doesn’t matter whether the company’s doing something you’re unhappy with, you should always mind the tone of your communication. If you sound angry, your Boss is less likely to mind your request or even finish reading your email.
Use Work Email
Refrain from contacting your boss through your personal email. Most organizations implement some form of spam filter that may flag personal emails as spam.
The last thing anyone wants is to send an urgent message to their boss only to find out days later that they never got the email. Emails that come through the company emails are whitelisted ensuring that your boss receives them inside their inbox.
This is why most organizations provide their employees with company emails for communication within the company as well as correspondence with external companies.
Keep It Concise
Your boss probably receives loads of emails daily. The last thing they want to do is to spend precious time reading through a long email to determine its content.
No matter how important your email may be, your boss is not likely to spend 30 minutes trying to understand its content. It’s advisable to use short and clear wording to easily convey the content of your message.
Proofread
No one likes reading terrible grammar, especially in a professional setting. It’s advisable to proofread your email to identify any grammatical errors before sending it to your boss.
Tools like Grammarly are readily available to help identify errors in your writing. Keep in mind that these tools aren’t perfect. So manually proofreading your email can further enhance your message.
On the other hand, poor grammar could give your boss some laughs. But keep in mind that others are bound to join in.
Easy To Understand
Your boss most likely receives tens or even hundreds of emails daily, especially in the case of larger organizations. Ensure that your email is easy to understand within the shortest amount of time.
To determine this, you can ask a colleague or friend to skim through the email to test whether it’s easy to understand and adequately presents the necessary information.
End Formally
At this point, you can thank your boss for taking the time to review your request and then reiterate any relevant information before signing off.
Example:
Thank you for your time and consideration
Signature
Official emails to your boss should be signed off with your official signature which includes your full name, job title, department if applicable, and contact details when available.
This can be easy if you’ve already created your signature template for your company email. The system would automatically include your signature in every email.
If you haven’t created a signature template for your email, you should manually include this in your email to your boss.
It can be something like this:
Sincerely,
{{Fullname}}
{{Department if applicable}}
{{Job role/title}}
{{Contact details (optional)}}
Sample Email To Manager For Project Allocation
Template 1: Request For Meeting To Discuss Project Allocation
Email Subject
Request for Meeting to Discuss Project Allocation
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. I would like to request a meeting, at your convenience, to discuss the {{Project title}}. I’d really like to work on this project as {{Reasons why you want to work on the project}}.
I understand that the project may already be assigned by I believe {{What you bring on board that makes you a great fit for the project}}. I would appreciate it if we could schedule some time to discuss this further. Please let me know what time would be most convenient for you.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 2: Request For Project Allocation – Current Project Ending
Email Subject
Request for Project Allocation
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. As you may know, my team and I will be completing the {{Project title}} project {{When project will be completed}}. I wanted to bring this to your attention since I haven’t been assigned to any new projects.
I’ve learned a lot from the {{Project title}} and would like to leverage this experience in other projects and contribute to the success of the company. To better serve the company, I would appreciate it if you could assign me to a project that leverages my skills and experience in {{Skills and experience}}.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 3: Request For Project Allocation – Specific Project
Email Subject
Request for Project Allocation
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. We recently completed work on the project to which I was assigned and I would greatly appreciate it if I could be assigned to the {{Project title}}. I am willing to take on new challenges and I believe my skills and experience in {{Area of expertise}} make me a great fit for the project.
I understand that there may be other projects that require my skills and expertise, and I am open to exploring those opportunities as well. Please let me know if there are any other projects you would like me to consider.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 4: Request For Project Allocation – General
Email Subject
Request for Project Allocation
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. We recently completed work on the {{Project title}} and would like to bring to your attention that I’m currently unassigned to any new projects.
I am eager to contribute the expertise and experiences gained from these projects to the success of the company. As you may know, my skills and expertise lie in {{Area of expertise}}. I would be grateful if I could be assigned to any projects that require my skills and also provides an opportunity for development.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}
