Business Diplomacy

[dps]

You say you've had a good working relationship with X?  Just tell him, "I've mentioned several times the idea of having a face-to-face meeting, and you've not seemed particularly interested in the notion, but my bosses really want it to happen, so could you help me out and set aside an hour or so to meet at a time to your convenience so they'll stop pestering me about it?".

[MadImmortalMan]

Yes. He commiserates with me about it even. He thinks my bosses are dinosaurs. Actually, one of them(B) doesn't even use a computer. Our office manager prints his emails out for him. TBH--there is a different set of rules for building good relationships with techie people because they're all weirdos. My execs don't get that. They would have me come across as a greasy schmoozer. To be fair to them, though, that's how business has gotten done in their field for a long time. It's all politics. My own part of it is pretty shielded from that, thankfully. X and I and from a different generation.

[sbr]

You say you've had a good working relationship with X?  Just tell him, "I've mentioned several times the idea of having a face-to-face meeting, and you've not seemed particularly interested in the notion, but my bosses really want it to happen, so could you help me out and set aside an hour or so to meet at a time to your convenience so they'll stop pestering me about it?".

Something along these lines was my first though as well.  Even if X gave a definitive No the situation could be over.