Everyone Wins When Managing Up Thoughtfully

Introduction to Managing Up

In today's rapidly evolving organizations, the skill of managing up can greatly influence your team's success and yours equally. This goes beyond simply networking or trying to please your boss. It's about building and nurturing meaningful relationships with your direct manager and senior leaders for the benefit of everyone, particularly your team. Doing this right can have a significant impact on team productivity, access to necessary resources, and the career trajectory of both yourself and your direct reports. It also serves as a safeguard against potential misinterpretations of your actions and intentions, especially in challenging situations.

The Essence and Nuance of Managing Up

Building a Strong Foundation with Your Direct Manager

The relationship with your direct line manager is more than hierarchical; it's a partnership founded on mutual goals and understanding. Here, managing up is about aligning with their vision, staying attuned to their concerns, and actively contributing to shared objectives.

• Regular, open communication and alignment with their vision and goals are crucial. Make sure you understand what your manager is trying to achieve. Be curious about your manager's thoughts and plans. What does success look like to him/her?
• Understanding and proactively addressing their challenges is key. It’s about being a proactive, insightful team member who anticipates needs and offers solutions. Try to see if there are challenges that you can offload from your manager. "I can take care of this" and then actually taking care of it speaks louder about you than anything else.
• Be generally optimistic about people and matters. That does not equal being naive about the challenges and sometimes a bit hidden nature of personal and organizational interests. These tensions need to be understood, but they should not be a topic to talk about all day every day. There is a difference between appearing as a "political person" vs. being politically savvy. You do not want to be the former.
• Ask your manager for feedback frequently and welcome any constructive criticism. It shows that you are open to learning and continuously improving.?The way you handle feedback tells more about your character than almost anything else.

Other things to remember when interacting with your manager, most of which apply to any professional interactions:

• Admit that you do not know something.
• Always own your mistakes, no excuses.
• Do not speak negatively about other people.
• Showcase your good judgment with examples.
• Don't just talk about work. Be human, be relatable.
• Do not get overly emotional.

One-on-One Interactions: Personalized and Productive

Personal interactions with your manager are crucial. These are opportunities to demonstrate your grasp of projects, your professional growth, and how you align with the team's goals.

• Unless your manager tells you otherwise, take ownership of these 1:1’s
• Prepare with a clear agenda and organize your thoughts.
• Send agenda topics beforehand.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, maintaining a balance between professional and personal rapport.
• Be 100% present and do not multitask.
• Keep timing and wrap early.
• Don’t just talk about work. Be human, be relatable.

Regular and Thoughtful Communication

Keeping your manager updated is vital. Even if he/she would not be a micromanaging type at all, every manager gets a warm and fuzzy feeling when they know what you’re up to :-)? (there is a tiny micromanager living inside of every manager….)

Regular updates should narrate the story behind your decisions and challenges, demonstrating your strategic thinking and reflection on your work.

• Send brief weekly updates about your main achievements, events, challenges, and progress.
• Share your regular team communications with your manager. Consider sharing that separately with your manager when you communicate to your team in writing. Why separately? If you CC your manager in all your team communication that may impact the openness of people responding to you and may be taking away from the intimacy within your team.

Broadening Your Influence within the Organization

Managing up also extends beyond your direct manager. It includes fostering relationships with dotted-line, or functional, managers, your manager’s colleagues, and other senior leaders. Each relationship demands a unique approach and some understanding of their individual roles and challenges.

• Tailor your approach to each leadership relationship. Do not think all the senior execs are the same.
• Empathize with their roles and demonstrate your value as a resource.

Effective Strategies for Managing Up

Maximizing Impact in Team Meetings

Team meetings (the ones with your manager and your colleagues) offer a platform to demonstrate your proactive approach and leadership qualities. It's where you can voice ideas, encourage colleagues, and steer projects toward success.

Think as you would be personally accountable for the productivity and success of the meeting, instead of assuming an "an attendee" mindset. In a successful team, everyone thinks as they would be personally accountable for the success of the meeting

• Be vocal and contribute positively.
• Show support for your colleagues' comments and build on them.
• Offer feedback and volunteer for tasks, showcasing your commitment and leadership.

Navigating Skip-Level Discussions

Approach "skip-level" discussions with sensitivity and always keep your direct manager informed. These interactions are opportunities to positively represent your team and manager.

• Be cautious and respectful in your interactions with your manager’s superiors. Never surprise your direct manager with these.
• When appropriate, use these discussions to provide a positive image of your team and your manager, supporting it with examples.

Career Advancement through Managing Up

People do not promote themselves. They get promoted by others. Promotion is a decision made when you are not in the room. Seldom it is enough to have your manager think you deserve the promotion. The decision is usually made by a team that includes also your manager’s peers and his manager. They all need to know you and be impressed with your maturity, judgment, drive, and leadership talent.

Conclusion: The Art of Mutually Beneficial Relationships

Managing up, when practiced thoughtfully, is an art form that enhances the work environment for everyone involved. It involves understanding and navigating complex workplace dynamics for mutual benefit. By mastering managing up, you contribute to your career growth and the success of your team and organization, ultimately leading to greater opportunities and career satisfaction for everyone.