You just finished work on a document and need your boss to review it and make any necessary input. The best approach is to send them an email with the document attached.
However, if this is your first time and you aren’t sure how to draft the short email that accompanies the document, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve put together some templates to help you draft the email. Additionally, we’ve also included some tips to help you whenever you need to email your manager.
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
Your boss has a busy schedule, so it’s advisable to go straight to the point. If you already discussed the document with them and they’re expecting it, make sure you point this out in the email.
If your boss doesn’t know about the intended purpose of the email, make sure you let them know in the email. You can even highlight the specific portions where you need them to make changes, input, or review.
If you need some specific changes, make sure you include them in the email as well.
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:
Review Request {{ Document Name }}
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 assistance.
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 Emails To Boss To Review Document
Template 1: Request Final Review
Email Subject
Request for Final Document Review
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. I am pleased to share with you the final version of the document {{Document Name}}, which has undergone several revisions based on previous feedback and discussions.
I would appreciate your final input, especially on the {{Specific area of emphasis}}. Thank you for your time and support throughout this process.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 2: Requesting for Document Approval
Email Subject
Document Approval Request: {{Document Name}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope you're having a great day. I'm reaching out to request your approval for the {{Document Name}} document. We have worked diligently on it and believe it's ready for your final review.
Could you please review the document and provide your approval or any necessary changes?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 3: Following Up On Document Review Request
Email Subject
Reminder: {{Document Name}} Review
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. I wanted to follow up on my previous request to review the {{Document Name}} document. If you haven't had a chance to review it yet, I kindly ask that you do so at your earliest convenience. The deadline for submission is {{Deadline}}, and I believe your input is essential especially on {{Specific area of emphasis}}.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 4: Requesting Document Review
Email Subject
Review Request: {{Document Name}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. As discussed earlier, please find the draft for the {{Document Name}} attached for your consideration. I’ve highlighted the {{key sections that require your review and input / key changes and updates that have been made to the document based on our previous discussions}}.
Should you have any questions or concerns, I’m available to provide further clarification. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 5: Requesting Review – Multiple Documents
Email Subject
Review Request: {{Collective Documents Name}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this finds you well. As discussed during the meeting, please find the draft of the documents attached for your consideration.
{{Name of Document}}
{{Name of Document}}
{{Name of Document}}
I would greatly appreciate it if you could review and provide feedback at your earliest convenience. I'm available to provide further information if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}
