Don't be the squeaky wheel

I have a lot of conversations with frontline practitioners and leaders about "managing up", trying to influence their boss or their "bosses' boss" in the pursuit of some organizational change or another.

After spending more than a decade in various positions in a non-profit organization (frontline, supervisory, management), I've had my share of moments trying to influence the decision makers above me to make the "right" decision, or to try and drive a change process that I might not have responsibility and power over.

Payroll systems. Strategic direction. Staff turnover. Funding shifts. Program design. You name it, I've probably sat at the table where the issue was being discussed and wrestled with. Some of those changes I had control over, because I was the one driving them. Others I did not have control over, but was able to influence in meaningful ways.

Below are a few practical strategies for influencing up the chain (and I'd love to hear your thoughts and strategies in the comments!)

1. Be a Team Player. If you're on a leadership team, the team you need to prioritize IS NOT YOUR DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM. It's the leadership team (and by proxy, the organization). Make sure your actions and priorities are aligned with the needs of that team. Almost every organization suffers from the 'silo' effect...leaders sit around the table once a week representing the interests of their group or department, engaging in subtle (or overt) turf warfare. Getting over the need to look out for your team's best interest, to pursue the best interests of the organization, will quickly set you apart (and, ironically, will likely mean that your group, team or department will thrive as well).

If senior leadership knows that you have the best interests of the organization (and therefore, them as leaders) at heart, they're much more likely to trust you and heed your counsel.

1. Don't be the squeaky wheel. You've probably heard that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease". Sure. I've also abandoned shopping carts mid-grocery run because it gets annoying. Don't come to leadership with complaints, come with an analysis of the situation, what you've done to date, and your questions or options that you're considering to move forward. Being a competent leader in your own domain will give you outsized pull with other decisions.
2. Recommend a Pilot. For whatever reason (particularly in the NGO and Education sectors), leaders love pilot projects. Less risk, less investment, flexibility to abandon it or scale it up as needed. Pilot projects feel safer, and a lot of leaders become risk-averse as their responsibilities increase. I've been suckered into my fair share of clearly defined, well thought out pilot projects over the years.
3. Punch above your weight class. People (including senior leaders) are generally happy to let others take accountability. Ask to present to the board of directors. Take ownership of the change process. Grab the whiteboard marker, march to the front of the room and take control of the meeting that's been spinning in circles for an hour. Watch for efforts by others to offload accountability but retain the credit, that's a recipe for a lot of frustration and strain on you. If you build the slide deck for the board presentation, you should be the one presenting it (or at the very least, in the room while it's happening).
4. Give meaningful feedback (with curiosity).

This decision making process sucked.

vs.

I understand that we need to make a decision soon. I'm also concerned that this process has been a bit rushed. How confident are we that our frontline workers understand the reason for this decision, and are comfortable with how we made it?

I've used all of these strategies in one form or another to help drive positive organizational changes, big and small. I've also watched these strategies work on me, when staff would flip the script and use them to influence me to make better decisions or embrace a change!

What are your favourite strategies and tactics for driving change up the chain?