How effectively do you manage up?
Our reader poll today asks: How effectively do you “manage up”?
– Very – I lead my superiors just as effectively as I lead my teams: 29%
– Kind of – There are times I don’t do it as well as I should: 55%
– Not very – I find it difficult to lead and manage my leaders: 14%
– Not at all – I’m always the one being managed: 2%
Managing Up Takes Effort. It’s just as important to manage up as it is to manage your team. Investing the time in keeping your leader informed, setting expectations, and communicating what’s going on goes a long way toward building a productive relationship with your boss and other key stakeholders. The three keys to managing up – setting expectations, asking for help, and knowing their “update frequency” – will help you build trust between you and your boss and get them engaged in your work in more meaningful ways.
Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!
– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 210,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.
Managing up is definitely a skill many managers are unaware of, and as a result they are often left looking back wondering why they have not advanced at the pace they had hoped for. As I have navigated my career, managing up has been equally important as managing the team. What I expect from the team is what I like to ensure for my supervisor. When I have been frustrated with someone on my team, it is always because they failed to manage my expectations.