How to Get a Meeting with a Senior Leader
“You need to build relationships with senior leaders” is common career-building advice. But what is that supposed to look like in practice?
Do you just…walk up to an SVP at a networking event and compliment them on their shoes? …or mosey on over to a Senior Director who just gave a dazzling presentation and try to ask an intelligent question that doesn’t make you sound like a starstruck groupie? …or start a conversation with your CEO about the deliciousness of leftover lasagna while they’re microwaving their lunch in the break room?
Ugh. Thousands of ideas, each more awkward than the last. How would a midday conversation about pasta even help you get your next promotion anyways? If you’re at a loss for how to open these conversations and turn them into career-building meetings and long-term relationships, then this talk is for you.
This talk will focus on the exact words to use to turn a brief encounter with a senior leader into your next meeting (and new work bestie). We'll cover:
Easy ways to break the ice (without freezing up or awkwardly rambling!)
How to frame your asks so senior leaders will say yes to your meeting request
Word-by-word scripts for talking with leaders in the coffee area at work, at networking events, or after seeing them speak
Low-pressure ways to turn your conversation into your next meeting so you can continue to build the relationship
The goal of this talk is to give you ready-to-use language to turn informal moments with senior leaders into valuable conversations and long-term relationships.
WIMDI is proud to co-present with our friends Elk Valley Women in Mining.
May Busch - Executive Coach
May Busch works with good people who want to advance their careers and make the difference they’re meant to make in the world – without sacrificing their values in the process.
After her own 24-year rise to Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley Europe, she discovered the hidden shift that separates those who advance from those who plateau: it’s not enough to deliver excellent performance – you also need to make your potential visible to key decision-makers.
As Founder & CEO of Career Mastery®, May has developed a practical framework that helps mid-career professionals accelerate their advancement while staying authentic. Her approach has guided thousands of professionals toward promotions, leadership roles, and greater career satisfaction.
May is the #1 International Bestselling author of VISIBLE: How to Advance Your Career without Playing Politics, Selling Your Soul or Working Yourself into the Ground and Accelerate: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage.
A Harvard College and Harvard Business School graduate, May serves as Senior Advisor for Leadership at Arizona State University and provides executive coaching globally. Her work proves that good people can finish first. Everything May shares is what she wishes she’d had during her own journey.
Timeline of Our Fun Event:
12:00 pm - The event starts with mingling, socializing, and small-group networking. We recommend putting your webcam on* (even if you've already transitioned to work-is-over-dress-like-a-slob mode) to help you make the strongest possible connections with your new WIMDI friends!
12:15 pm - The talk starts! Most talks contain interactive elements, question prompts for you to complete, or other activities that make multi-tasking difficult. Get out your notepad and prepare to soak up some knowledge.
12:45 pm - It's #WIMDIasks time! We end the night with our interactive community-based resource that lets you crowdsource any challenge in your life through the network of all the WIMDIs in the room.
How Online Events Work:
We'll email you the login info for the Zoom meeting 5 minutes before the start of the event.
Can't find your login details? Check your spam for mail from WIMDI. If you still can't find the info, email hello@wimdi.com and we'll get you all sorted out.
Our events are interactive and will require your attention and input throughout the course of the event.
Attendance Notes:
1) Gender:
This event is open to individuals of any gender identity.
2) Code of Conduct:
By attending this event, you agree to adhere to WIMDI's code of conduct, which you can find at wimdi.com/code-of-conduct-and-policy.
3) Privacy, Photography and Recording*:
This event is being recorded for release on the WIMDI YouTube channel. By attending you consent to the terms laid out at wimdi.com/video-release/. We understand that some of our members may not be comfortable being recorded, and we don’t want this to stop anyone from attending. Our Video Policy has helpful tips for staying internet-anonymous at our events. Learn more at wimdi.com/video-policy/
Online WIMDI events use Zoom, as such we cannot guarantee that no photos, screenshots, or recordings will be taken of you during the event by other attendees. We love it when our members connect at our events using both video and audio, but we understand if our members prefer to participate with their video turned off to preserve (more of) their privacy.
4) Donations to PAFNW (Pacific Association of First Nations Women)
As part of this event we have the option of donation to the Pacific Association of First Nations Women for their scholarship fund for Indigenous women and girls. This is a concrete way - beyond land acknowledgement - to redistribute some of our collective financial privilege to support Indigenous women.