In an ideal world, youd have a perfect amount of work to fill your day.
This post originally appeared onThe Muse.
So, schedule a time to have a chat and clue her in to whats really going on.
Open communication is the first (read: essential) step toward finding a solution.
Its important to think up a few solutions before your meeting (beyond wanting toleave on time).
Would you benefit from turning a solo project into a group effort?
Is there some technical glitch or outdated procedure that makes a regular task take way longer than it should?
It is, and its terrible.
Not to mention, if youre not really doing anything, you know youre replaceable.
Obviously, this is a delicate conversationespecially if you couldve mentioned all your free time a bit sooner.
You want your boss to be impressed with your transparency and your desire to do more.
Again, youll want to come armed with ideas.
Have you noticed areas that seemed short-staffed?
Can you dream up some projects that fit within company goals?
Would it make sense for you to spend time on other teams?
Additionally, dont leave without asking your boss if theres anywhere she could use extra help.
You could go from an underutilized member of the team to MVP.
Perhaps you feel like youre always the one asked to handle things that just crop up.
But a good boss will appreciate you bringing up your desire to grow and be challenged.
It shows that youd rather advance where you are than go elsewhere to develop professionally.
Telling your manager youre interested in new, different projects is a start.
Would like more tasks thatll help you build certain hard or soft skills?
Do you want to be trained for management?
Would you feel more engaged if you had more interaction with your colleagues?
Just knowing you two are on the same page can be heartening.
The Classic Goldilocks Problem: How to Ask Your Boss for Just the Right Amount of Work| The Muse
