Managing Up Means Earning Trust

I was recently asked in a conversation, “How do you manage up?” It was a great question because it was unusual. Rather than asking how I manage a team, this person was asking how I handle the more difficult and multi-faceted process of working well with a supervisor.

Managing up encompasses several elements, all of which must lead to the ultimate goal of winning and maintaining your supervisor’s trust. When you have your manager’s trust, you’re more likely to win the autonomy to lead projects, obtain approval for initiatives you propose and find an ear willing to listen to feedback.

• “I have one rule: Don’t embarrass me.” On the first day of his first job, my father was told this by his new boss. It sounds overly simplistic but has been a great help to me when reviewing work to be submitted to supervisors -- and when managing workplace-related crises.
• Make sure your proposed ideas align with overall organizational goals. Great ideas can’t come to fruition in an environment that doesn’t support them.
• Understand the pressures that are weighing on your supervisor and try to lighten them. Just as you answer to your supervisor, she likely has someone evaluating her work. Even the CEO has to answer to a board of directors. Knowing the players and anticipating their priorities will enable you to ease your manager’s burdens and earn her trust.
• No excuses. No one wants to hear them. When I make a mistake (not if, but when, because everyone does), I own it. And then we move on.
• Cite contributions and great work from your team members. A great supervisor will understand that your management contributed in some way to a team member’s success, and will appreciate your willingness to give credit where credit is due.

Managing up is more than just doing your job well. By earning your supervisor’s trust, you develop a relationship that positions you both for greater success.