"Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it . . . Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine." -- David Ogilvy, British
advertising executive; often called The Father of Advertising.
Managing UP: Maximizing Efficiency for Your Boss's Sake |
Most people regard management as overseeing and directing the work of subordinates: giving orders, delegating tasks, providing guidance, and making sure everyone consistently produces quality output. Of course, that is a fair textbook definition.
But management doesn't always flow downhill---great employees manage UP as well. In recent years, the theme has become an increasingly popular one in management circles. Basically, managing up hinges on actions that make life easier for both the boss and the employee, offsetting the boss's bad productivity habits when necessary. My office manager, Becca, is a classic case-in-point of one who manages up superbly.
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The Downside of Managing Up Before I discuss ways to maximize upward management, let's better define what managing up is not, because some people are leery of the whole idea. In a recent Forbes article, for example, the writer expresses his fear that some workers might interpret the need for managing up as a license for mind games---like corporate climbing and brown-nosing-and advises against even trying it.
People being people, some will deliberately twist the concept of managing up, and some will just misapply it. Yet in condemning the practice, I believe the Forbes writer underestimates the intelligence and self-interest of most managers---and dismisses a valuable workplace strategy. I want Becca to figure out how to manage me better. The old management philosophy of "she'll do what I say when I tell her to" is outdated. I look to Becca for her advice and trust her to take initiative to tell ME what needs to be done, rather than sitting around waiting for me to tell her to do it. As a manager, any unreasonable demands, last-minute urgent task-dumping, poor prioritization, unrealistic deadlines, and similar productivity bombs aren't acceptable. If your boss really is like that, there's nothing wrong with taking respectful action to head those counterproductive behaviors off at the pass.
To make it absolutely clear: Managing up does NOT include manipulation, deliberately causing confusion, undermining authority, or damaging credibility. Aside from causing resentment that can halt your advancement, such amateur games negatively impact your personal integrity. Managing Up Appropriately When managing up, then, your goal must be to help both yourself and the boss, ultimately to the benefit of the entire organization. Now that we've discussed what managing up isn't, let's look at ways to approach it correctly.
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1. Align Yourself with Your Boss. Determine what's most important and convenient for your boss, and shoot for those goals. If you don't know what's needed, ask. Becca comes to me each week with a prioritized task list
of what she believes is the correct order, reflecting the best use of her time, and asks me to reprioritize any changes. She basically asks, "Help me help you." In doing so, you can more easily anticipate what your boss is likely to require of you. Would she like a detailed weekly listing of what you and your team have accomplished? When should you approach her with questions? Would it be best to leave your suggestions for her daily drive time, or would she prefer to handle them during a particular time-block, or on a specific day of the week?
Click here for the rest of the article
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Thanks for reading! Make it a productive day.™ |
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All Articles (C) 2013 Laura Stack. All rights reserved. This information may not be distributed, sold, publicly presented, or used in any other manner, except as described below. Permission to reprint all or part of this article in your magazine, e-zine, website, blog, or organization newsletter is hereby GRANTED, provided: (1) The ENTIRE credit line below is present, (2) the website link to www.TheProductivityPro.com is clickable (LIVE), and (3) you send a copy, PDF, link, tearsheet, etc. of the work in which the article is used when published.
This credit line MUST be reprinted in its entirety to use any articles from Laura Stack: (C) 2013 Laura Stack. Laura Stack is America's premier expert in personal productivity. For over 20 years, her speeches and seminars have helped professionals, leaders, teams, and organizations improve output, execute efficiently, and save time at work. She's the author or coauthor of 10 books, most recently, What to Do When There's Too Much to Do. To invite Laura to speak at your next meet or register for her free monthly newsletter, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com. |
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