When you ask a friend how her job is going, she says, “Once I started managing up, things got a lot better.” You cringe, thinking “managing up” smacks of political maneuvering, cozying up to the boss, or even outright manipulation.
Fortunately, when it’s done right, managing up isn’t any of those things. It can be a delicate business, no doubt. But it needn’t involve power plays on the one hand or kowtowing on the other. Managing up is simply a conscious approach to working with your supervisor toward goals you both care about. The aim is to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship. This book gives you tips on how to do that.
Even though you’re not the person in charge, you’ll need to set a positive, productive tone for your relationship with your boss. And that requires certain skills:
• Knowing yourself and your manager well
• Managing expectations on both sides
• Listening with a keen ear
• Communicating in a clear, authentic voice
• Negotiating with diplomacy
• Monitoring the relationship as it progresses
• Making necessary refinements
You may be thinking, “Why not sit back and let my boss handle all this? Isn’t the manager supposed to be the one who manages?”
But standing high and mighty on that principle doesn’t help anyone. Besides, you’ll miss out on the benefits of managing up, which you’ll read about next.
Why managing up is useful
Managing up helps you obtain the resources and buyin you need to do your best work for your boss and your company. You, your manager, and your organization are interdependent: Only by recognizing that fact can you cultivate a strong, trusting relationship that allows you to get things done. You and your manager will then feel secure as you work together to solve problems rather than just talking about them, ignoring them, or sweeping them under the rug. And you will both feel more satisfied at work. Consider this example:
Sam, a new director with a formal work style, replaced someone who had a looser, more intuitive approach. Carla, one of his direct reports, knew the importance of managing up. When she asked Sam how he preferred to receive information and updates, he said he liked reviewing reports before discussing them because it kept meetings structured and brief. So before her meetings with Sam, she sent him background data and discussion agendas. The result: highly productive meetings and innovative problem solving that improved the entire team’s performance. Sam’s transition was smooth, and he and Carla quickly developed a friendly, efficient working relationship.
Contrast Carla’s experience with that of Larry, another of Sam’s direct reports:
Larry found Sam’s style too controlling. He was not especially interested in managing up or learning what Sam valued, so he didn’t ask for direction. He seldom provided background information before meetings and often felt blindsided by Sam’s questions when they sat down to talk. Consequently, Sam’s meetings with Larry lasted longer—and accomplished less—than those with Carla. Sam found them frustrating, and he attributed delays on projects to Larry’s inefficiency. So Sam gave Larry negative performance reviews and didn’t put him forward for promotions.
Carla’s efforts at managing up clearly benefited everyone involved: Sam, her team, and herself. But failing to manage up means more than simply missing out on benefits. It can be a risky proposition, as Larry’s case illustrates. Refusing to learn about and accommodate your manager’s preferences can lead to misunderstandings about your skills and your dedication to your work.
“Tuning in” to your manager, however, is only part of what it takes to avoid problems like Larry’s and reap rewards like Carla’s. You must also know yourself and navigate the differences between the two of you—that’s what we’ll cover next.