This series introduces the importance of managing up and some of the keys to do it successfully. Hopefully, you’ve found some useful tips to use and share with your team! If you would like further information about the full presentation deck, contact me and let’s talk.
Managing up is an important part of your success toolbox. When you help your supervisor succceed, the organization improves and, ultimately, you will be seen as an asset in that success.
If you missed the previous posts, follow these links:
Part Three: Don’t Go Over Your Boss’s Head (but…)
Let’s wrap this up so you can get back to work and put these tips to good use! Most importantly, remember this:
Managing up is NOT:
- brown-nosing
- motivated by trying to gain favor
- manipulative
But, it IS:
- A tool to enable success; company success, your supervisor’s success and your success
Wait a minute…isn’t that contradictory?
- Brown-nosing is rooted in phoniness, not an authentic desire to help someone else succeed. A brown-noser might laugh at jokes that aren’t funny or call extraordinary attention to average work. In many cases, a brown-noser tries to get what they want without working for it.
- Very simply put, motivation refers to what prompts one’s behavior. If the reason you are managing up is because you are trying to gain favor from your boss or others, your motivation is not your supervisor’s success, but your own.
- Manipulative behavior is the skillful use of circumstances to benefit oneself. This type of approach compromises your relationship with your leader, resulting in a negative influence lacking integrity.
To avoid the above, keep your focus on the success of your leader and the success of the company. Ultimately, your supportive role will be noticed, appreciated and rewarded. Just don’t let that be top of mind. When your own ambitions take over, you are no longer managing up for the right reason.
What success tips can you share to help others manage up successfully?
