Harvard Business Review - Managing up: forge strong ties, set clear expectations, promote your ideas

Managing Up

Get up to speed fast on essential business skills. Whether youre looking for a crash course or a brief refresher, youll find just what you need in HBRs 20-Minute Manager seriesfoundational reading for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives. Each book is a concise, practical primer, so youll have time to brush up on a variety of key management topics.

Advice you can quickly read and apply, from the most trusted source in business.

Titles include:

Creating Business Plans

http://hbr.org/product/creating-business-plans-20-minute-manager-series/an/16998-PBK-ENG

Delegating Work

http://hbr.org/product/delegating-work-20-minute-manager-series/an/16999-PBK-ENG

Finance Basics

http://hbr.org/product/finance-basics-20-minute-manager-series/an/16864-PBK-ENG

Managing Projects

http://hbr.org/product/managing-projects-20-minute-manager-series/an/16862-PBK-ENG

Managing Time

http://hbr.org/product/managing-time-20-minute-manager-series/an/17001-PBK-ENG

Managing Up

http://hbr.org/product/managing-up-20-minute-manager-series/an/16863-PBK-ENG

Presentations

http://hbr.org/product/presentations-20-minute-manager-series/an/16865-PBK-ENG

Running Meetings

http://hbr.org/product/running-meetings-20-minute-manager-series/an/17003-PBK-ENG

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Managing up.
pages cm. (20-minute manager series)
ISBN 978-1-62527-084-9 (alk. paper)
1. Managing your boss. 2. Management.
HF5548.83.M362 2014
650.1'3dc23

2013039033

ISBN: 978-1-62527-090-0 (ebook)

Preview

Nurturing a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with your manager starts with you, the direct report. That may seem daunting, but the art of managing up is one you can learn. This book walks you through the basics:

Understanding your managers priorities and pressures.

Communicating your own needs and goals clearly and diplomatically.

Building on common ground.

Setting a positive tone for the relationship.

Managing your bosss expectationsand your own.

Navigating negotiations and disagreements.

Strengthening your connection over time.

Assessing the relationship and making adjustments.

Contents

Managing Up

What Is Managing Up?

What Is Managing Up?

When you ask a friend how her job is going, she says, Once I started managing up, things got a lot better. You cringe, thinking managing up smacks of political maneuvering, cozying up to the boss, or even outright manipulation.

Fortunately, when its done right, managing up isnt any of those things. It can be a delicate business, no doubt. But it neednt involve power plays on the one hand or kowtowing on the other. Managing up is simply a conscious approach to working with your supervisor toward goals you both care about. The aim is to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship. This book gives you tips on how to do that.

What managing up involves

Even though youre not the person in charge, youll need to set a positive, productive tone for your relationship with your boss. And that requires certain skills:

Knowing yourself and your manager well

Managing expectations on both sides

Listening with a keen ear

Communicating in a clear, authentic voice

Negotiating with diplomacy

Monitoring the relationship as it progresses

Making necessary refinements

You may be thinking, Why not sit back and let my boss handle all this? Isnt the manager supposed to be the one who manages?

But standing high and mighty on that principle doesnt help anyone. Besides, youll miss out on the benefits of managing up, which youll read about next.

Why managing up is useful

Managing up helps you obtain the resources and buyin you need to do your best work for your boss and your company. You, your manager, and your organization are interdependent: Only by recognizing that fact can you cultivate a strong, trusting relationship that allows you to get things done. You and your manager will then feel secure as you work together to solve problems rather than just talking about them, ignoring them, or sweeping them under the rug. And you will both feel more satisfied at work. Consider this example:

Sam, a new director with a formal work style, replaced someone who had a looser, more intuitive approach. Carla, one of his direct reports, knew the importance of managing up. When she asked Sam how he preferred to receive information and updates, he said he liked reviewing reports before discussing them because it kept meetings structured and brief. So before her meetings with Sam, she sent him background data and discussion agendas. The result: highly productive meetings and innovative problem solving that improved the entire teams performance. Sams transition was smooth, and he and Carla quickly developed a friendly, efficient working relationship.

Contrast Carlas experience with that of Larry, another of Sams direct reports:

Larry found Sams style too controlling. He was not especially interested in managing up or learning what Sam valued, so he didnt ask for direction. He seldom provided background information before meetings and often felt blindsided by Sams questions when they sat down to talk. Consequently, Sams meetings with Larry lasted longerand accomplished lessthan those with Carla. Sam found them frustrating, and he attributed delays on projects to Larrys inefficiency. So Sam gave Larry negative performance reviews and didnt put him forward for promotions.

Carlas efforts at managing up clearly benefited everyone involved: Sam, her team, and herself. But failing to manage up means more than simply missing out on benefits. It can be a risky proposition, as Larrys case illustrates. Refusing to learn about and accommodate your managers preferences can lead to misunderstandings about your skills and your dedication to your work.

Tuning in to your manager, however, is only part of what it takes to avoid problems like Larrys and reap rewards like Carlas. You must also know yourself and navigate the differences between the two of youthats what well cover next.

Knowing Your Managerand Yourself

Knowing Your Managerand Yourself

Managing up is a constant process. It takes keen observation and a willingness to adjust your behavior on a daily basis. But once you and your boss have built a trusting relationship on a solid foundation, cultivating it becomes easier and less time-intensive. The first step in getting to that happy place is identifying where you and your boss stand, both professionally and personally.

Roles

Beyond your obligations to each other, you and your manager have specific roles to play and people to whom youre accountable. In short, you each have a web of complex relationships to maintain and responsibilities to fulfill. Acknowledging those realities can help you see the world from your bosss point of view.