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Gotta be seen, to be heard.
The art (and need) of 'Managing Up'
Lesley Bell
September 01, 2023
The Diamond Newsletter, because every one is a gem (groan! I know).
If you want to be a better leader you’re in the right place, welcome!
This newsletter is delivered every Friday and is a minestrone soup of tips, techniques, learnings and thoughts, & the odd disaster, based on my 25+ years of managing teams, what I’ve learned more formally and by following my passions.
Read time: 4 minutes
Are you ‘visible’?
One of the biggest mistakes I made as a new manager,
was not understanding the importance of managing ‘up’ let alone what it meant, how to do it, and why. Managers manage their teams, right?
Wrong.
A manager of mine once told me he liked the fact I didn’t really contact him unless there was a problem. That suited him. So I took that as the model. And it held my career back.
You see, pardon the pun, I wasn’t visible.
If you’re not front of mind, then consider yourself back of the queue. If you're not visible you miss out on:
coaching opportunities
networking opportunities
building trust and credibility
the chance to get you and your team credit for the work done
someone speaking up for you, when you're not invited to the table - ‘I call it ‘virtual visibility’
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a Michael Girdley-style cheat sheet given them, on how they should manage their manager (love this, if you haven't seen it!).
My initial experience coloured my view of what the relationship should be like, and the behaviour I should adopt. I thought that making their life easier would help me.
Here’s the thing: It does. But my approach didn’t.
And here's why:
Others did manage up, on steroids.
They were able to get their views across quickly and create an impression. They had influence and impact.
I felt disadvantaged.
But, I learned the importance of it, and how to do it well. And here’s how:
#1 Keep a lookout for icebergs ahead.
Keep them in the loop: No one likes surprises unless it’s a bouquet on their birthday.
See a problem ahead? Perfect!
A great opportunity to show how you would handle it - Go to them with the nature of the problem, and also the solution. They’ll thank you for it.
“The challenge is [x]. my solution is [y], what are your thoughts?”
#2 Check in with a quick update.
Make regular check-in calls, without being a nuisance. It's great if you have a 1:1 scheduled with them every month but don't wait. (Unless you've been given one of those cheat sheets!)
If you don't have regular 1:1 time, agree on a cadence, and book them in.
Be clear on expectations: what do they expect from you? - confirm back action points at your 1:1.
Some managers may tell you how often they want an update ( oh, yeah, I had one that wanted completely unnecessary daily updates. I’ll save that for another time).
#3 Remember the informal!
Don't miss opportunities to mingle and show your face.
Avoid what I often did when travelling - a long day at work, so hotel room then bed. I missed the informal or ‘optional’ opportunities.
#4 Celebrate good times, come on!
Celebrate success, yours and the team’s, be generous.
Someone who takes credit for someone else’s work can be sniffed out at 1000 paces. It's easy to focus on other people's successes, and forget to include you.
So, remember to include you!
#5 Make them look good.
Actually - that is your job. Make them look good. Taking the time to understand your line manager's goals and priorities is powerful. It enables you to align your work accordingly. Is there anything you can take off their hands, that could give you more experience?
Look for opportunities to collaborate.
Understand how they work, and adapt accordingly. I had one manager who was a ‘no detail needed’ person and the next was highly detailed and process orientated ‘I’d like a report on …”
#6 It's OK to give them positive feedback.
Do you give them feedback, on them?
One of my most memorable events, was when one of my direct reports complimented me on how I’d managed a meeting. We’d collectively solved a problem.
It was really powerful, and gave a clear signal to me of what worked well.
Why not do the same to your boss (To be clear, genuine ones only!.)
Action for the week!
Want to have a practice? Take 10 minutes, to do a health check:
Map out the general pattern of interaction with your manager.
Formal meetings / informal: how do they go?
Is there a bias towards one type? Why do you think that is?
How do those meetings make you feel afterwards?
How do you approach problems?
Which areas do you need to work on?…..make the change.
Extra resources
Additional resources you may want to check out.
Want an entertaining read on ‘managing up’? Try this book, although I wouldn't necessarily try all of her methods.
Not so much a text book, as an insight.
Here’s a link so you can see what it's like, but I’d much prefer it if you ordered from your local bookshop. May not be as quick, but a better soul-feeding activity.
Music to get you ready for the weekend! 💃🕺
A mega playlist of supersonic tracks, to get you in the mood for the weekend.
This week: If you ever need reminding who is responsible for your career…..😂
Other ways I can help:
1:1 coaching to help you develop the leadership skills you need to take your career to the next level. Let’s have a chat. Calendly link here.
Micro-coaching : a single coaching session to help you overcome that one blocker or key issue you're facing. Details in the link here.
Interview Mastery training: to master confidence at that BIG event. It could be an interview, public speaking, or that pitch. Make sure that the very best version of you shows up to that interview. Link here.