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Create a functional relationship with your boss that helps them to see you as an integral part of the organization.
Anita, 55, was nervous and surprised when her supervisor questioned two of her direct reports’ talent and said that she wanted them to be terminated. While she admitted that she did not have a strong relationship with her boss, Anita operated under the philosophy that her work spoke for itself. She focused her energy on building her team and driving her business, successes in which had led her to her current role of Senior Vice President. But now she worried that her boss doesn’t have confidence in her ability to build and lead a strong team. In reality, Anita has and was in the process of executing on a plan to replace the two weak team members, however, she failed to inform her boss. Again her focus was on driving her numbers.
In business school, we are taught to “make the business case” to formally present a project or task. What many business people do not realize is the importance of using these skills to communicate with senior management on an ongoing basis. This type of communication—sometimes called “managing up”—involves many of the key steps you may remember from business school:
- Know your audience: What do you know about your boss’s preferences and interaction style?Anticipate and address reactions: Think through previous interactions to identify what’s important to him/her. What are his hot button issues? What direct or indirect feedback has she given to you?
- Use stakeholders to better understand both the current state and future opportunities.
- Be confident in the value of your contributions.
As noted in the Wall Street Journal Q&A session on Managing Up, “Doing what you can to make your manager's job easier will not only help them do their job, but you will be considered a valuable asset to your manager and to your organization….You want to be described as indispensable.”
Leader’s Reaction:
When we discussed this concept in our coaching session, Anita said “I really need to do this. I’m not sure how, but I will start.” Anita’s definition of managing up was to deliver on her performance objectives. She now better understands the full meaning.