What comes to mind when you think of the words “manage upwards”? It may seem like a concept that is reserved for bigger corporate environments or associated with incompetent managers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Managing up is a soft skill that helps employees use the traits of good managers to bring out the best in themselves within the work environment. When executed well, managing up can help make your manager’s job easier and create a productive working relationship with your boss, but it’s also critical for your career development and job satisfaction.
Having a good understanding of what managing up is one thing, but being able to do it effectively takes some guidance and practice. Anyone who wants a positive and productive relationship with management should keep reading this article. Here, we aim to discuss this elusive topic in depth to hopefully help you understand what managing upwards is, what it should look like and how to do it effectively.
What is considered managing up?
Essentially, managing upwards is being the most effective employee in your workplace. The person who creates value in your working environment. Here are some practical ways you would manage upwards in your workplace:
Preempting your manager's needs
Having a clear understanding of your manager’s goals
Adapting to your manager’s communication style
Adapting to your manager’s methods of working
Clearly and respectfully communicating your preferred work style and preferences
Reaching out to your manager when you're in need of help
Supporting your manager when you have the time available
Keeping your manager updated on the status of certain projects
Developing a productive and strong relationship with management
What is not considered managing up?
In no way does managing up specifically refer to situations where managers are incompetent, and in no way should your ability to manage up ever come across as you are suggesting they are such. So, here are some things that you should understand that managing up is not:
Judging your boss's management
Managing your manager
Assessing or judging your manager’s behaviours or capabilities
Going over your manager's head to be heard and recognised
Trying to mould your manager into someone different
How to "manage up" in your career
A big part of successfully managing is taking the traits of a remarkable manager and using these identified traits to support your supervisor. While many different managers have their own communication styles and work styles, and each good manager brings something of value to the company, there are a few key traits that great managers always seem to have. The traits of a good manager that are essential for managing upwards include:
Being a good communicator
How would you describe your supervisor's communication style? One pivotal skill that all great managers need is to be able to communicate effectively, which means this is a skill that is essential for "managing up". You need to be able to understand what your manager’s preferred channel of communication is and aim to proactively reach out to them wherever you’re in need of help. This also means that aside from your regular one-on-one meetings, you’ll need to establish what the best way to reach them is. The best way to communicate with your manager is to listen to them actively.
Being emotionally resilient
Working closely alongside management can be stressful, but to practice managing, you need to be the kind of employee who can remain calm and productive when you’re under pressure. When your manager is experiencing a lot of pressure at work, this is the perfect opportunity to manage upward. You can help ease the load by helping with additional tasks if you have the extra time and capacity. Not everyone thrives under pressure, so you need to brace yourself emotionally and commit fully.
Being caring and considerate
A good manager isn’t just someone who can boss people around but is the kind of person who inspires others to do the best job possible. This often means they genuinely care and take the time to get to know the people they oversee. By taking the same approach with your manager and taking a genuine interest in their life and wellbeing, you’re managing up. So, celebrate their successes and show empathy when they’re going through trials.
Being a constructive feedback provider
The only way to get ahead in a career is to be the best, and this means consistently improving yourself and your skill set. Having someone who is able to give constructive criticism is a recipe for success you can manage by being that person for your supervisor. When your boss asks for ways to help you improve, be humble and honest and provide them with some useful feedback.
Understanding the importance of career development
Bosses and people in managerial positions understand the importance of career development and will often have a plan to further their careers. So, one way you can manage is to get a good understanding of your manager’s career plans so that you can be the person who can support them in their goals while solidifying your own plans. This way, both you and your manager succeed!
Giving fair treatment
When assigning work and tasks to individuals, managers should aim to do so fairly. They do this by keeping the employee's capacity, skills, and development goals in mind. Anyone wanting to practice managing up should act as a direct report. This means when you have seen your manager or supervisor engage in fair treatment and want to encourage this behaviour, give them the positive feedback they need.
Being results-oriented
A results-oriented manager will always acknowledge the pivotal role that performance standards play in the success of a company. As someone who is aiming to manage up, your goal should be to identify, understand and meet the performance standards as well as encourage and support your team to meet them too. This way, you will be helping not only your manager but also the entire team succeed, and in doing so, you will demonstrate your managerial potential.
Catching the vision and having good goal-setting skills
You can instantly identify those who are great managers by their ability to set vision and achievable goals, not only for themselves but for their team. So, when you see your manager is someone who is able to catch the vision of the company and can successfully break it down into actionable components, tell them how their ability has impacted the way you work. This will ensure your manager knows that you understand your role, so instead of focusing on continually making sure you’re doing your part, they can focus on getting results.
Being able to foster innovation
There’s no doubt that fostering innovation is crucial for avoiding the dreaded art of micromanagement – after all, nobody wants to feel like they’re working under a microscope. This is also pivotal for those who want to manage their careers. The worst thing you can do is seem overbearing to your managers, but instead, try and foster innovation by showing your boss that you can learn from both achievements and failures and demonstrate the value you place in being autonomous.
Demonstrating technical capability
One thing that you need to realise when managing up is that your manager is never going to be perfect, and you may have a greater technical capacity than them. No manager wants to feel undermined, so to practise managing upward in your career, you should aim to help your manager learn the necessary skills and new technology. This requires being willing to give them the time and effort to support them as they do so.
Making people feel valued
At the end of the day, managers and teammates will willingly recommend those they see as effective managers. Your effectiveness when managing upwards is closely tied to how you make others, especially your manager, feel in the workplace. When managing up, concentrate on making your manager feel valued and ensuring you create a strong relationship with them to succeed.
What to consider before considering managing upward?
Developing the ability to manage upward will not happen overnight; it’s a soft skill, and it’s no different from learning any other soft skill. It’s going to take time, dedication, and effort to be effective, so you’ve first got to reflect on your relationship as well as the similarities and differences between you and your manager before you commit. Take a look at how you and your managers:
Communication styles
Feedback preferences
Management or leadership styles
Priorities
Productivity trends
Work style
Final Thoughts
There are so many benefits to managing upwards! Not only does it help you get ahead in your career, but it also makes your and your manager's jobs easier. Think about it: you're improving communication, supporting each other's goals, encouraging one another, and dedicating yourself to innovation in the workplace. By effectively using this soft skill, you will be able to build a strong working relationship with your boss and are sure to be noticed.
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