The Magic of Managing Up

Real G’s move in silence like lasagna

-lil wayne - 6 foot 7 foot

(ain’t no “G’s” in promotion though…)

Learn from my mistakes.

It's my natural disposition to get a good understanding of the problem I'm hired to solve for, then just get busy working. I build solid collaborative relationships with the people I'll need to help me deliver the work, then I go off and strategize and execute.

Early in my career, I rarely thought about what my manager needed outside of the assignment they gave me. I rarely considered their needs.

Now that I'm in management, I see the error in that approach.

It took me a while to understand that I was being passed for promotion because the manager didn't know about my “wins.” They were uninformed.

On other occasions, I would complain that my manager had an attitude, not realizing that what I was perceiving as an attitude was his response to feeling stressed. And why was he stressed? Because he didn't know what was going on within her own team. He was feeling a loss of control at a time when his manager was asking him for more information regarding his team's workload and priorities.

It took me too long to make these connections between my behaviors and my manager's stress levels. Learn from my mistakes. View your manager as a critical stakeholder in your process, not just the outcomes. Now that many of us are working remotely, managing up has even more significance.

Managing up is the act of being empathetic to the needs of your manager and aiming to make their job easier by anticipating what they’ll need, and providing that before it becomes a pain point for them. This is something the best executive assistants do well. Here’s what to do:

1. Inform. Provide information about what you're working on and how it affects the organization. Discuss the expected benefits for the organization and for individuals or customers. Think about what your manager would need to know to defend your priorities to her peers. Make sure she has that information.

2. Prepare. This is personal to each manager, but think about how they like to receive information. Is it written or verbal? Is it documented via email or is it a casual update via Slack? Is it a presentation, that they can refer back 2 weeks from now complete with visuals and data? How do they communicate with their manager or executive team? Being empathetic to their needs even though they're often times not communicated is critical here.

3. Ask. There’s several things you can ask for. Here’s a few to consider:

Their preferences. Many people simply don't know what they want. However, by asking, you offer them an opportunity to evaluate the options and choose. This is, in effect, you managing your manager.

Consider questions like: How often would you like to be updated? Is a slack message fine or would you prefer an email?

You may say something like: I know the leadership meeting happens quarterly. What update should I provide you with ahead of the meeting? Is an update two weeks prior okay?

Their support, feedback or guidance. Ask them for what you need. If you have a situation where you could leverage their support, ask for that. Oftentimes, we hit roadblocks in our attempts to do our jobs. Your manager can use their influence to help unblock you, or to drive alignment at the leadership level that will help you to execute more effectively.

Many managers are not mind readers; they do not know what you need. 1:1s are the perfect time to make your manager aware of these items so they can know how to help you.

The Business. Ask if there’s a significant shift in the business that is now impacting your role or your department. Take the time to lean in and get a sense of what it is that they're concerned about and what it is that they need from you to be productive but also for the department as a whole to be performant.

Manage your manager similar to how you would a client. Your manager is often more like a client than a coach or a peer, even if you have a good social relationship with them. Aim to meet weekly, if you can, for as little as 30 minutes. Things shift often, and a weekly meeting will enable your manager to stay current.

Make sure you're meeting their needs and supporting them adequately so that it becomes easier for them to do their jobs. Keep this up and you'll be top-of-mind when it's promotion time.