If your boss has sent you an email with a task to get done, it might be wise to acknowledge it. This article will look at how to respond to an assignment given by your boss so you have a better understanding of how it works.
1. Thanks For Sending Me This
“Thanks for sending me this” is one of the best ways to acknowledge an email from your boss. It works well because it shows that you’re grateful to have received a message from them, and it shows that you’ve understood what they asked of you.
If you have more questions about what they need, it’s wise to include them after this phrase. If you fully understand what they are asking, then get to work on it.
Using phrases like this is good for two reasons. First, appreciation and acceptance are always polite. “Thanks” is always going to be a suitable choice professionally, so you should get used to using it.
Secondly, “sending me this” implies that you’ve read all the details they’ve provided. It means you’ve understood what they’re asking, and you’ll get to work straight away for them.
- Dear sir,
- Thanks for sending me this. I’ll be sure to get right to work with it.
- All the best,
- Tom Tank
- Dear Mr. Hodge,
- Thank you for sending me this. I’m glad you came to me looking for help here.
- Best wishes,
- Darren
2. That’s Really Helpful. Thank You
“That’s really helpful” is a good way to acknowledge an email that provides you with useful updates. If you learned new information or have been informed that something important is going to happen, this phrase works well.
Similar to the above phrase, we can use “thank you” to show our appreciation. It’s a simple form of acknowledgment, but it goes a long way when you’re writing to your boss.
If you can show that you’re polite and resourceful, it’ll paint you in a much better light with your boss. Who knows. Maybe they’ll start to give you some more important tasks, and you’ll be climbing the ladder before you know it.
- Dear ma’am,
- That’s really helpful. Thank you for the update, and I’ll be sure to get right to work.
- All the best,
- Daniel
- Dear Mrs. Smith,
- That’s really helpful. Thank you so much. I’ll get right to work with my new team.
- I hope you’re well,
- Tom
3. Okay, I’ll Get Back To You If I Have Any Questions
“I’ll get back to you” is a good way to show that you currently don’t have any problems to note. It shows that you acknowledge what your boss has emailed you, and you will now spend time working toward completing the task.
“Okay” is one of the most simple ways to accept a task or challenge. It shows that you’ve received, read, and understood an assignment.
“If I have any questions,” shows that you’ll be working hard on the project. If anything comes up that you’re not sure about, you’ll reply to your boss again to ask them for some help.
- Dear Mr. Stuart,
- Okay, I’ll get back to you if I have any questions. Thanks for letting me know.
- Kind regards,
- Jackie
- Dear Mrs. White,
- Okay. I’ll get back to you if I have any questions when I start working on it.
- Best wishes,
- Tina
4. Received With Thanks
“Received with thanks” is a more blunt phrase we can use. It works well professionally because it gets right to the point. Some people don’t like using it because it feels like a wasted email.
Remember, email inboxes can be very busy. If your boss receives a lot of emails during a working day, it’s probably not a smart idea to email them with every little response, acknowledgment, or query you have.
The more emails you send, the more annoying they can be. Therefore, “received with thanks” as the only phrase in the email is a bit of a waste of time.
If you’re going to use this one, make sure you elaborate just a bit more.
- Dear sir,
- Received with thanks. I have already started to work on this project, so it should be done by Friday.
- All the best,
- Craig
- Dear Mr. Smart,
- Received with thanks. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you before I finalize these instructions.
- Thank you,
- Mary
5. Noted
“Noted” is similar to the above phrase. It’s another blunt one, but this time it’s only one word. We should still make sure to elaborate further if we’re going to use this form.
Again, we don’t want to clog our boss’s email up. The last thing we want to do is annoy them, so they don’t trust us with tasks again.
Always elaborate if you’re going to write “Noted.” If you don’t have anything to elaborate on, it’s probably best not to reply to your boss. You could ask them if they need help with anything else, or you could give them a rough time frame of when to expect your work.
- Dear Mr. Pamela,
- Noted. I’ll be sure to contact you as soon as I’ve completed this. I imagine it’ll be done by Wednesday.
- Thank you,
- Terry
- Hey Michael,
- Noted. If you have anything else you need from me, please let me know. I’ll get to work immediately otherwise.
- Kindest regards,
- Janet
6. I Have Received And Understood
“I have received and understood” works well to start an email to your boss. We usually include the information we receive right after this phrase. Repeating it helps us to show that we’ve understood our assignment.
This is known as a reconfirmation. When someone has provided us with information, and we relay it back to them to show that we’ve understood, we reconfirm it.
For example:
- I want you to work in the yard.
- I will work in the yard.
Generally, you can just say “I will” to show you agree to the terms. However, repeating “work in the yard” is a great way to show that you’ve understood exactly what’s been asked of you. The same rules apply to business emails.
- Dear Mr. Peterson,
- I have received and understood your message about finding new candidates for the role. I’ll check the CVs in the morning.
- Best regards,
- Jon
- Dear Mrs. Suestorm,
- I have received and understood the project you recommended to me. I’ll get a team together to address it.
- My best,
- George
7. Got It, Thanks
“Got it, thanks” is slightly more informal. We can use this phrase when we are familiar with our boss, and we know they don’t mind a bit of informal language here and there.
It’s great because it’s snappy. It gets right to the point and shows that you understand what has been asked of you.
Many people like to go overboard when it comes to emailing their boss. They feel like a lot of words need to be used to show that they are smart enough to handle the responsibility.
Often, using too many words can turn your boss away from asking you for help again. It’s best to keep formal emails as simple as possible, especially when they’re only there to acknowledge your role.
- Dear Mr. Bossman,
- Got it, thanks. I’ll let you know when I’m done with it.
- Yours,
- Young
- Dear Mrs. Smythe,
- Got it, thanks. Please let me know if there’s anything else you’re going to need.
- Best wishes to you,
- Maria
8. I’m Working On It
“I’m working on it” shows you are diligent when responding to your boss. If they’ve given you an assignment, “I’m working on it” shows that you’ve taken the time to get to work right away.
Other people might have wasted time before starting a job from their boss. If you use this phrase, it shows that you’re proactive and you’re willing to stop what you’re doing to make sure to get the most important tasks done first.
- Dear Mr. Walker,
- I’m working on it as we speak. I’ll have it ready by the end of today’s shift.
- All the best,
- Suzanne
- Hey Arnold,
- I’m working on it. Bear with me while I send you my preliminary results.
- Kind regards,
- Jessica
9. No Reply
Sometimes a reply isn’t necessary. You do not have to send emails to everything you receive because this will clog up both your and your boss’s email. If they did not ask for a reply, or you do not think it warrants one, you don’t have to reply at all.
This is all based on whether you trust your instincts. If you believe that a reply is unnecessary, you can leave it out. Usually, this is made clear if the email your boss sent you is short and gets right to the point.
If they elaborate or say something like, “please respond when you’ve read this,” then it’s probably better to reply. They’ve asked you to do so, so not replying would be foolish.
Since we’re not replying to our boss, in this case, it doesn’t make sense to include any email samples. Instead, just continue with the work they’ve provided you and only reply once you’ve completed it.
You may also like: 12 Best Replies To A Thank You Email From Your Boss
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.