02.19.

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What To Say When You’re Stuck In The Elevator With Your Boss’s
Boss
You have 90 seconds. Here’s what to do with them.

[PHOTO: FLICKR USER ROBERT ANTHONY PROVOST]

BY JUDITH HUMPHREY 5 MINUTE READ

I was alone in the office elevator. Then the doors flew open, and in walked
our CEO. It was early in my career, and I was new and had never met him—
but I recognized him right away. In fact, I’d been hired to write his
speeches.

So this was quite an opportunity. All I had to do was extend my hand,

introduce myself, and tell him I was delighted to have been hired to write
for him. I could even have suggested a meeting! And I’m sure he would
have agreed—what CEO wouldn’t want to get to know his new
speechwriter?

But of course, I blew it.

I didn’t think quickly enough, and all we did was exchange a short nod. In
fact, over the next two years, I would never meet him face to face again.
Ultimately, I left the company because, well, who wants to write for
someone she has no access to? It might’ve been different if I had just said
hello.

It’s offhand moments like these

that offer big opportunities to
"Don’t waste your chance
build relationships with executives
asking whether she had a
nice weekend or what she who otherwise might be out of
thinks of the weather." reach–especially to young staff or
new hires. Chances are you already
have a good rapport with your own boss–you work together every day. It’s
the people higher up who may seem much further away–until you’re
suddenly stuck with them inside an elevator, the modern office’s great
equalizer.

Here’s what to do when that happens.

READ THE (VERY TINY) ROOM

An elevator is a room of sorts. So first, decide whether you have a real
opportunity. If there are others in the elevator, it’s probably not the best
time to strike up a chat about a big topic with a senior-level exec. It’s not
that there’d be anything inherently wrong with that, but the situation just
might not be right, and it could turn out awkward for both of you.

Rightly or wrongly, others may see you as breaking rank or overstepping

your boundaries. Or the executive might just be caught off guard and feel
embarrassed. So save your elevator conversations for moments when the
two of you are riding alone.

Even in that one-on-one situation, keep your office-politics antenna out. If

your boss’s boss is deep in thought, leave her alone. She may be thinking
through her next meeting or hashing out a tricky decision. Make eye
contact if you can, and show that you’re respectfully aware of her presence
and status, but otherwise keep to yourself. Another time will come!

SAY SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT

If the situation does seem right, speak with substance and avoid trivial
exchanges. Don’t waste your chance asking whether she had a nice
weekend or what she thinks of the weather. Go for something more
substantial–an observation or question that has the subtle power to leave a
strong impression and, ultimately, move your career forward.

After all, if you don’t think big, what’s the point? Here are a few ways to do
that while keeping it casual:

Introduce yourself. If you haven’t met the executive before, extend your
hand and say, “Hi, I’m Henry Yarmouth, the director of our call center.”
You might also add something that shows your commitment to the
company, as long as it doesn’t sound like you’re sucking up, like, “I started
in August and so far really like it. The people are great.”

Share a win. Tell the executive about something you or your team have
accomplished. A diversity manager told me that she rides the elevator
regularly with her CEO, since they both have offices on the 20th floor. Just
about every time, she takes the opportunity to highlight how she and her
team are helping the business. In a recent elevator ride, she shared with the
CEO about how her team won a contract to support new immigrants. Don’t
worry about sounding boastful! It’s a short ride, so make a quick, positive
impact. Your executive will appreciate the good news.

Offer your congratulations. You can also congratulate your boss’s boss
on an achievement, either his own, his department’s, or the company’s. If
you saw him give a talk recently, don’t just say you liked it, explain why. If
his department received an honor, mention that. If Q4 results were
impressive, comment on that. People love to be recognized for success, and
if you stay current with this sort of information—as you should—you’ll put a
glow on the executive’s face.

Ask for a meeting. What better

elevator topic is there than a
"Don’t worry about
request to meet? I know of a
sounding boas ul! It’s a
short ride, so make a director who reported to a VP but
quick, posi ve impact." was so savvy that he requested
meetings with the SVP. And when
the VP left, that director was promoted to the VP role. In order for that to
happen, of course, the SVP needed to know who he was. So seize your
chance in the elevator to say something like, “I’m working on some
employee engagement issues, and I’d love to hear your perspective. Any
chance I’d be able to steal a half hour of your time?” Who wouldn’t be
flattered by such a request? Just make sure you let your own boss know–
you don’t want to be seen as going over her head.

FOLLOW UP
Finally, follow up on whatever conversation you do manage to strike up.
You might schedule a quick meeting or write an email that expands on your
comments. Or you might share an article that came to mind based on what
you discussed. You can even invite that executive to speak to your team.
The important thing is to continue building that relationship. Eventually
your efforts will reap great returns.
And remember: The elevator conversation is far more than a chat inside a
moving box of metal. You can apply this advice to all the informal
situations where you have a short slice of time to strike up a rapport with
senior executives. It might be a chance encounter in a corridor, a coffee
room, the kitchenette, or a networking event. But wherever that brief
meeting occurs, go for it! Put yourself forward. Those who get noticed, get
promoted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judith Humphrey is founder and Chief Crea ve Officer of The Humphrey Group, a premier
leadership communica ons firm headquartered in Toronto. She is a communica ons expert whose
business teaches global clients how to communicate as confident, compelling leaders.More