What Does Managing Up Mean?
Taking the initiative is necessary to advance rapidly in the corporate world, especially if you seek to secure a management position.
But what does this initiative entail?
You’ll need to show your boss that you can take charge while also being a team player. You must showcase your independence and remain informed.
You want to show your boss that you not only have ideas, but can also execute them with confidence. However, you don’t want to come off like you’re overstepping, talking down, or being insubordinate.
Managing up involves striking the right balance. It is a vital skill that serves leaders and employees at all levels.
A Detailed Definition Of Managing Up
It is rare for managers and CEOs to be in their positions solely because of their managerial skills. Instead, most gain management capabilities by being experts in specific areas. For instance, areas such as finance or project management, rather than the skill of managing employees.
But most often, people miss a crucial step in becoming a manager - learning how to manage up.
Managing up is when a direct reporting employee, via a positive relationship, makes their supervisor’s job easier. It’s all about offering more value to your supervisors. And, in turn, they help you become the best employee possible.
The relationship between a manager and a staff member, although defined by power, requires input from both ends and a healthy balance of give-and-take. Here, the manager or the boss manages, and the staff members manage up.
How Managing Up Works
Have you ever witnessed an efficient chief of staff who seems to have more power than the boss? That chief of staff knows what is important to the boss and manages their schedule, helping them do their work efficiently.
The chief of staff might not have the title, but they wield power by ensuring their boss succeeds; this is one example of how managing up works. The chief of staff here is the gatekeeper, allowing access to the boss and making the boss' success a priority.
For most direct reports, managing up does not involve being fully embroiled in the boss’s life, as they probably wouldn’t like that. Understanding what matters to your supervisors and trying to help them reach that objective will enable you to manage up effectively.
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What Are The Benefits Of Managing Up In The Workplace?
First, there are direct benefits related to increased opportunities, promotions, and better performance reviews. Indirect ones are associated with ensuring projects are adequately resourced and on schedule, enhanced team performance, reduced stress, and better working relationships.
For most employees, their ratings and performance reviews determine:
Their rate of progress.
Whether they get a salary increment.
Their value to the organization.
Your supervisor or boss is a crucial contributor to that rating.
Ultimately, managing up results in solid performance reviews and promotions, making it a win-win for you and your supervisor. Mastering managing up increases your prospects for career advancement.
Another benefit of managing up is making yourself your supervisor’s right-hand person. These days, few people are indispensable. However, if you can build the reputation of being your supervisor’s go-to person, they’ll have your back and recommend you when an opportunity comes up.
Most of us learn to let our achievements speak for us. But communication plays a crucial role in managing up by letting your boss know what you’ve been managing and the areas you’ve succeeded in.
Managing up isn’t about tooting your own horn. Making your boss aware of your contributions and demonstrating your effectiveness in those areas helps highlight the value you add to the team and the company.
How Can You Manage Up?
To manage upward:
Pay attention to who your higher-ups are. Observe who your boss is, not how you want them to be. Note their personality, work style, and priorities.
Evaluate yourself honestly. How do you show up at the workplace? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your priorities and pet peeves?
After determining how you resemble and differ from your boss, decide how you’ll adapt your interactions with your boss. Bottom line: you can’t control your boss or supervisor, but can control how you react to them.
Develop empathy as a leadership skill. It might be challenging to feel sympathy for your boss, but just like everyone else, they’re human. You might not be able to understand the choices they make. But you can try to view the world from their perspective and empathize with the constraints and stress they face. A simple affirmation of, “I can imagine today is a very stressful day for you” can help you build rapport and a strong relationship with your boss.
These tips, however, need careful thought and positioning. In the end, you want to combine your strengths with those of your supervisor to achieve the success you both desire.
Final Thoughts
Mastering how to manage upward can transform you from just another staff member to the go-to person in the face of obstacles and growth opportunities. It’s a skill that’s beneficial to both leaders and direct reports.
Now you know what managing up means and why it’s essential. Plus, you have some helpful tips to put managing upward into practice. It’s now time to give managing upward a try!