What do you associate with “managing up”: political manoeuvring? cosying up to the boss? Manipulation (like many of my clients)?
In fact, when done right, managing up isn’t any of those things. Managing up is a conscious approach to working with your supervisor toward goals you, your team and your organisation care about. It is also part of how you can be a great boss for your team.
So how?
The first step in effectively managing up is accepting that it is important to do so: realise that every decision in your company is made by the person who has the power to make that decision, even if he or she is not necessarily the right person or the best person to make that decision. If you can influence them, you can make a positive difference. If your refuse , your impact will be limited in your role.
REMEMBER: IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SELL, NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BUY
Then, there are few elements to effectively managing up:
1- Identify your manager’s work and communication style (email vs phone call? Introvert or extravert?)
2- Understand what motivates your boss (his/her agenda, what success looks like?)
3- Understand your manager’s strengths and weaknesses (how can you help?)
I am sharing an article with some practical tips on why managing up is an essential part of your role as manager, and how to be good at it.
