You’re being paid for the job so you should be able to deliver. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help when necessary.
After all, there’s no shame in asking for help. Workplaces work on strict deadlines and failure to meet them could result in losing your job.
But if you’re worried about how you’re going to structure an email like that to your boss, then have no fear, as we’ve got you covered.
We’ve created some templates that you can modify for the purpose. You simply need to copy and modify them as needed.
Additionally, we’ve also included some general tips to help you write emails to your boss now and in the future.
Table of ContentsDespite the increasing use of services like Slack and Teams among businesses, emails remain one of the most popular forms of business communication.
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.
It doesn’t matter how close you may be to your boss; you should keep in mind that the workplace is a professional setting and you’re expected to act as such in official communications.
What exactly do you need from your boss? How do you ask them for help when you aren’t sure what the problem is and how they can help you address it?
Make sure you identify this before you reach out to them. If you’ve identified a specific way your boss can help, make sure you include this in your email.
Don’t waste their time by beating around the bush. Let them know if you already tried every avenue available to address the issue without success.
Let them know that this is the reason why you’re asking for their help. If you know exactly why the approaches you took earlier did not work, make it clear in the email or simply inform them in person if you’re requesting a meeting to discuss this further.
Make it clear to them that you tried every option available to you. You didn’t simply run to them at the first sign of a challenge.
Projects are the workplace are time-sensitive. Don’t wait till the deadline is almost up to inform your boss of the challenges you may be facing.
Informing them early ensures that they have ample time to identify the best approach to addressing the issue.
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:
Request for Assistance with Task>>
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>>
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Thanks for your time and consideration
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.
Dear Surname>>,
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request your help with Specific task>> for the Project title>>. Despite my best efforts, I’ve not been able to Issue you’re having>>.
I’ve already Progress so far>> and would appreciate your expertise and guidance to identify the best way forward. I understand that you are busy but I would be grateful if you could spare some time to go over the details with me.
Do you have some time this week?
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
Full name>>
Department name if applicable>>
Job tile>>
Dear Surname>>,
I hope this email finds you well. I have been working on the Project title>> project which is due on Due date>>. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble Challenge you’re facing with project>> despite my best efforts.
Knowing your expertise in this area, I would be grateful for your advice on the best way to proceed. I understand that you are busy so I would be grateful if we could schedule a meeting to discuss this further, at your convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Full name>>
Department name if applicable>>
Job tile>>
Dear Surname>>,
I hope this email finds you well. I have been working on the Project title>> project for the past Duration>>. Unfortunately, I’ve been stuck on What you’re stuck on>> which has stalled my progress on the project.
I’ve tried Steps you took to address the challenge>> and Other steps taken>>, without success. Rather than continuing to spin my wheels on this, I figured I’d swallow my pride to see if I could lean on your expertise and insights to identify the best way forward.
Do you have some time this week to meet and talk through the details?
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
Full name>>
Department name if applicable>>
Job tile>>
Hi there and welcome to UnitWriter. My name's Chris, an expert in crafting effective email templates for all occasions. I created this blog to share my knowledge, by offering tips and templates to help get you started on your emails. Hope it's been helpful
