Schedule a Manager Alignment Meeting

With Manager alignment meetings, you can invite someone who isn’t on the Torch platform, like your manager or another stakeholder within your organization, to a meeting with you and your coach. Follow these instructions to learn how.

Begin by reviewing our guidance on how to prepare for a manager alignment meeting, if you haven’t already. This includes setting your objectives for the meeting. Your objectives should be focused on gaining a deeper understanding of what you want to work on, and exploring the best ways your manager can support and hold you accountable. Sample objectives may include:

• Getting alignment between your manager, your coach, and yourself on development goals

• Setting clear expectations for how your manager can hold you accountable

• Aligning on the best ways for your manager to give you feedback throughout your coaching engagement

Once you’ve set your objectives, you’re ready to officially put the meeting on the calendar. From the Home dashboard, click Schedule meeting under Meetings on the right.

If you are participating in more than one Torch program, choose the program you want to schedule the meeting for from the dropdown, then click Select program.

Review and update the default meeting title. To give the person you’re inviting more context about the meeting, we recommend using the format: “Manager Alignment Meeting: [Invitee’s First Name], [Your First Name], and [Your Coach’s First Name]”.

In the Description field, add the objectives you formalized in Step 1.

Under Meeting Location, “Torch Video” will be selected by default.

The meeting duration will be set to 45 minutes.

In the Participants section, your coach will be pre-populated as a meeting participant by default. If you want to assign your coach as the host, click Make host next to their name.

Enter the email address of your manager or the other stakeholder you want to invite to the meeting, then click Add.

Select the date you want to meet on the calendar, then choose an available time slot to the right. Since the calendar will display your coach’s availability only, make sure to check the calendar of your manager or other stakeholder you’re inviting to the meeting separately to ensure you choose a time that works for everyone.

Once you're done, click Schedule meeting. An email invitation will be sent to all participants.

Want to view any upcoming manager alignment meetings you’ve scheduled? From the Home dashboard, click View all in the Meetings section on the right. Look for any meetings with the “Stakeholder” meeting type.

Sample Manager Alignment Meeting Heads Up Email Template

We've created a sample email template you can use if you want to give your manager or other stakeholder a personal heads up about the manager alignment meeting invitation you’ll be sending their way. Keep in mind this template is meant as a jumping off point. Don’t hesitate to start with our text and make it your own!