The Art of Managing Upwards!

Leadership is not always about leading and motivating the teams below. The most successful of leaders also spend as much time and energy in managing upwards, by investing time in creating great partnership with their bosses. There is an interesting Mckinsey article - Why effective leaders must manage up, down, and sideways on this topic- Published in 2017, the mckinsey consultants concluded that senior executives should pay most focus on mobilizing their bosses in order to increase business impact.

In the current times this capability of managing upwards assumes the highest importance for the reasons of shortened business cycles, fast decision making need, short period spent in roles ( average time spent by an employee in one role is between 18-24 months), ever changing corporate expectations, and, ofcourse, overall impatience for each other.

We often see the idea of managing upwards being met scornfully, and being regarded as a form of boss pleasing, corporate manipulation or even a blotch on self-ethics. However, this may be a gross mis-interpretation of this important capability. It should not be equated to being a “Yes Man”, doing personal errands for the manager or being a door mat. It actually is quite the opposite and entails taking accountability for building the right equation, rapport and confidence with your manager so that you are enabled to be your best self at work always.

Managing upwards is not about understanding your manager better, or developing some skills. It begins with first understanding one’s own beliefs and assumptions, which govern our expectations. We need to continuously test whether these beliefs/ expectations are true in the current context or not, and what should be nurtured vs discarded. There are four often found beliefs that are carried by us when it comes to expectations from managers:

My manager

1. should have all the answers
2. should be responsible for my career development
3. should reach out to take regular updates about my work
4. should know every detail of what I do at work

We easily carry most of these assumptions into our workplace, stemming from our own past experiences or how we saw our parents or seniors. We need to spend time to objectively identify our mind-set and expectations we carry. The next step is to understand the manager’s world and their persona. Understanding your manager can help you gain key insights on what is important for them- their belief system, aspirations and support system. Some ways to understand your manager better are:

1. Peek into your manager’s world and understand what is expected of them by their bosses– Spend time asking questions on what takes majority of their time and energy at work, who are their stakeholders and what do they expect. It could be radically different from what you deliver.
2. Flex to your manager's communication style and preferences: Take the time to observe how your manager communicates and tailor your response accordingly. For example, if your manager prefers concise emails, avoid sending long, detailed messages or if they are more outcome focused, don’t badger them explaining intricate details of the ‘How’.
3. Be vocal about what you need from your manager: It may not be necessarily provided, but it’s good to be communicative about it, rather than hoping that your manager will identify and support.
4. Stop assuming that your manager is responsible for your growth and development – Yes, it is a hallmark of great managers to develop people, but it is not necessary that your manager is interested in people development. Seek mentors inside or outside of the company, instead of cribbing how non-bothered your manager is about your career. Your development is your own business!
5. Be objective about your manager’s expertise levels– This is the most difficult to realistically calibrate. They may be as new in the role as you, or even more, with their own struggles and learning curves. Hence, it is not always prudent to assume that your manager will have answers to all your questions at work. In this situation, be proactive to identify subject matter experts inside or outside, and work through the maze yourself, instead of looking upwards.

In conclusion, managing upwards is a critical skill that can have a significant impact on your career success. Managing upwards is not a game of power, but a game of influence. It's about finding common ground and building relationships based on trust, mutual respect, and shared goals, and becoming even more successful.

#coaching #career #selfimprovement #selfawareness #transition