What Does ‘Tee Up’ Mean?

As you enter the job market you may begin to hear terms that you are unfamiliar with. One of the most popular terms that you may come across is the phrase “tee up.” Despite how frequently the term is used, many people are still unsure of its meaning and intended purpose.

Put simply, to “tee up” something means to set it up or prepare it for action or review. In the office, this could mean giving your boss a head’s up about a project that you are working on or prepping a presentation for a potential client. Basically, “tee up” is an informal term to tell someone that a task needs to be completed or a process is being put in motion. It is not necessarily the action of starting on a project or task, but more so the act of getting it ready for attention or discussion.

When it comes to using or understanding the term “tee up” in an office setting, there is no specific action that needs to be taken in order for the task to be properly tee’d up. This could mean simply providing an update on a project to your boss, gathering up the necessary documents to hand in to a customer, or organizing a meeting for a review with your team. It really just depends on the situation and the context of the conversation.

For example, if you’re a junior member of a sales team and your manager asks “Can you tee up a meeting with [person] for next week?”, they might be asking you to figure out a time and date that works for both parties, draft up a meeting agenda, and ensure all necessary individuals are aware of the meeting.

All in all, “tee up” is an informal way to request that something be prepared, set up, organized, or readied for discussion or action. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with actively working on something, but rather just making sure that all the necessary pieces of the puzzle are accounted for.