Skills 360 – Managing Up (2)

Discussion Questions

1. How well do you think you understand your boss’s goals and values?
2. Do you feel you are able to give your boss feedback?
3. How would you describe an ideal working relationship with your boss?

Vocabulary

To manage up: The act of building a positive relationship and effectively

communicating with your boss or supervisor. "To help my boss understand my
contributions, I regularly schedule brief updates to manage up and keep her
informed about my progress."

To yearn: To want something very intensely. "I have always yearned for an
opportunity to lead a team, and now that I've been promoted, I feel excited about
this chance."

Intuitively: Based on instinct or without logical thinking. "Even without formal

training, I could intuitively grasp the software's basic functions and started using it
right away."

To read minds: To understand or predict someone's thoughts, feelings, or intentions.

"During the meeting, I could almost read my colleague's mind when he hesitated to
share his concerns about the project."

Enhanced: Improved or made better, often referring to the quality, efficiency, or

effectiveness of something. "The enhanced security measures we implemented have
significantly reduced the risk of data breaches within the company."

Collaboration: The process of working together with others, often across teams or
departments, to achieve a common goal or complete a project. "This success is the
result of effective collaboration between the marketing and sales teams."

To initiate: To begin or start a particular action, process, or project. "We’re going to

initiate a new marketing campaign next month to boost sales."

Attitude: A person's outlook, perspective, or approach, often reflecting their beliefs,

values, or mindset. "Having a positive attitude during challenging times can
significantly impact a team's morale and productivity."

To de-escalate: To reduce or diminish the intensity of a conflict, disagreement, or

tense situation. "When conflicts arise in the office, it's essential to de-escalate the
situation by listening actively and showing empathy to resolve the issue peacefully."

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Resentment: A feeling of bitterness or anger stemming from a perceived unfairness
or mistreatment. "His constant criticism of my work gave me a sense of resentment
that made it challenging to collaborate with him."

To open up: To share one's thoughts, feelings, or concerns honestly and openly with
others. "During the team-building session, everyone was encouraged to open up
about their ideas, which led to a more constructive discussion."

To cultivate: To nurture or develop something, such as skills, relationships, or

environment. "We need to cultivate a workplace culture where people feel they can
be themselves and bring forward new ideas.”

Spirit of learning: An attitude or approach that emphasizes continuous learning,

growth, and development. "Encouraging a spirit of learning can lead to improved
employee engagement and professional development."

Mentor: An experienced and trusted advisor or guide who provides support, advice,
and knowledge to a less experienced individual. "My mentor has been guiding me
through my career transition and has helped me find a position that I really enjoy.”

To reflect on: To think deeply and critically about one's experiences, actions, or
decisions. "After the project's completion, I took some time to reflect on the
challenges we faced and the strategies that worked well.”

To inform: To provide someone with knowledge, facts, or updates about a particular

subject or situation. "I always make it a point to inform my team about any changes
in the project timeline."

Core values: The fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that define the essence
and culture of a business. "Our company's core values include integrity and
customer satisfaction, so we’re always thinking about how to make products safe
and effective.”

Security: The state of safety or protection against potential threats or risks. "By
investing in IT, we can improve the security of our customers' information and
maintain their trust in our services."

Fundamental: Serving as a basic or essential element. "I learned the fundamental

aspects of business at university, but nothing is better than on the job experience.”

Procrastinator: A person who habitually delays or postpones tasks or responsibilities.

"To be honest, I’m not going to meet my deadline because I’m a procrastinator and
didn’t actually start the project until just last week.”

One step ahead: Better prepared or more advanced than others. "By constantly
analyzing market trends, we aim to stay one step ahead of our competitors.”

Ludicrous: Unreasonable or illogical. "Proposing to double our prices overnight would

be ludicrous and could lead to a significant loss of customers.”

One-on-one time: Dedicated time for two people to talk together. "Allocating one-
on-one time with each team member allows me to provide personalized feedback
and understand their career aspirations.”

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Sharp: Quick-thinking and intelligent. "John's sharp analytical skills and quick
decision-making have significantly contributed to the success of the project.”

Feedback: Information or comments provided to someone based on their

performance, behavior, or work. "Providing regular feedback to our employees helps
them understand their strengths and areas for improvement."

Constructive: Characterized by the intention to build, improve, or enhance a

situation. "Instead of criticizing mistakes, I wish my boss would provide constructive
feedback that helps me see how to do better.”

Praise: Expressing approval, admiration, or commendation for someone's

achievements, efforts, or qualities. "I didn’t think the new website design was very
good, but Marty sure praised the web team’s efforts.”

To step up: To take on a greater level of responsibility, action, or leadership. "When

our team leader was absent, I had to step up and oversee the project.”

To go the extra mile: To make an additional or exceptional effort beyond what is

expected. "Sarah always goes the extra mile with her reports by making sure they’re
nicely designed.”

Proactive: Acting based on what you know or think will happen, rather than waiting
to respond. "You’d argue with your manager less if you were more proactive about
updating him on progress and telling him when you have challenges.”

Up-to-date: Being current or informed about the latest information, developments,

or trends. "Keeping our team up-to-date with the latest industry trends enables us
to remain competitive and adapt to evolving markets.”

To foresee: To predict or anticipate a future event or outcome based on current

trends, data, or knowledge. "I knew that this quarter would be rough, but I didn’t
foresee a 20% drop in sales!"

Obstacles: Barriers, challenges, or difficulties that get in the way of progress or

success. "Understanding the local language is one of many obstacles you’ll face if
you take that job in Spain.”

To go to bat: To advocate for or support someone or something, especially in a

challenging or difficult situation. "Dave said he liked my proposal, but he wasn’t
willing to go to bat for it during the managers’ meeting.”

Advocate: A person who publicly supports or promotes a particular person, idea, or

policy. "As an advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion, I regularly promote
initiatives that ensure equal opportunities.”

To open up new avenues: To create or discover new opportunities, possibilities, or

paths for development. "Exploring partnerships with other companies in our industry
will open up new avenues for international expansion.”

Workload: The amount of work or tasks that need to be completed within a specific
timeframe. "Our team is currently facing a heavy workload due to the upcoming
project deadlines, so it's crucial to manage our time effectively.”

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Autonomy: The freedom or independence to make decisions or take actions without
external influence or control. "The best thing about being the only salesperson in my
region is that I have a lot of autonomy to do business development the way I want to.”

Negligent: Failing to give proper attention, care, or consideration to responsibilities

or duties. "Neglecting to update the software regularly can leave our system
vulnerable to security breaches.”

Demanding: Having high expectations and asking for a lot from other people. "This
client is so demanding; they’re calling me every day to make changes to the design.”

Distractible: Easily disturbed from focusing on tasks or goals, or having trouble

concentrating. "I’m pretty distractible, so it’s important for me to shut my office door
and put on headphones to get my work done.”

Visionary: A person with innovative ideas and a forward-thinking perspective. "Steve

Jobs was a visionary leader who revolutionized the tech industry with innovative
products.”

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Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m your host, Tim Simmons, and
today we’re going to wrap up our lesson on how to manage up.

Many of us silently yearn for an easy relationship with our boss, one in which he can
understand us intuitively. But managers are human. They can’t read minds any
better than you can. And even the best ones make mistakes. That’s why today I
want to talk about how to “manage up.” I’m talking about using strategies for
enhanced collaboration between you and your boss. I want to show you how you can
initiate these strategies, rather than waiting for your boss to become a better
manager.

The right attitude is critical if you want to learn to manage up. Start by de-escalating
any resentment you have toward your boss. Open yourself up to the idea of
collaborating with your boss. And cultivate a spirit of learning. Even if you don’t see
your boss as a mentor, there’s lots you can learn from him.

With the right attitude, you can then go about trying to understand your boss better.
Reflect on what you know about the person. Ask yourself: what is this person’s
experience and background? Then, how does this experience and background inform
his core values? Core values are about what we think is most important in life. Does
your boss value family, security, and hard work? Or is it more about adventure, risk,
and competition?

If you understand these fundamental values, then you can better understand his
goals and what he’s hoping to achieve. It will also help you understand his work
style. How does he like to communicate? Does he prefer to send an email or pick up
the phone? How does he deal with timelines? Is he a procrastinator, or is he highly
organized and always one step ahead of everyone else?

Now, take those same questions and turn them on yourself. Have you considered, in
clear terms, your own values, goals, and work style? If you don’t have a clear
understanding of these things about yourself, then it would be ludicrous to expect
your boss to understand them.

With this understanding of your boss and yourself, you’ll be in a great position to
manage up. This involves strong communication about how to work together. Use
your one-on-one time to help your boss understand you better. Make polite
requests, rather than complaints. Say “if it’s all right, I’d prefer to do these meetings
in the morning because I’m sharper,” rather than just “I don’t like meeting in the
morning.”

Giving good feedback is a skill, and you’ll need to learn how to give your own boss
feedback. And remember, that should be a mix of constructive and positive feedback.
Lots of people want more praise, even though they themselves never give it!

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And it’s not just about praise but also about help and support. Your boss will support
you better if he sees that you are willing to support him. So step up for that extra
responsibility when nobody else will. If you never go the extra mile for your boss,
why should he go the extra mile for you?

Another trick to managing up is being proactive. Don’t wait for your boss to ask for
updates. Keep him up-to-date, especially when you are behind or you foresee
obstacles. Name those obstacles so he can understand the situation fully. The more
information he has to work with, the better he can do his job. And that’s a lot of
what managing up is about: helping your boss do his job better.

So, what are the consequences of teaching your boss how to be a good manager to
you? Well, for one thing you’ll enjoy greater trust and a better relationship. Not only
will your boss value you more highly, he’ll go to bat for you when you need an
advocate. And that will help you achieve more of your goals and open up new
avenues for success.

If your boss knows how to manage you better, then you’ll be more productive. You’ll
also have more control over your own workload and possibly be given more
autonomy. These are all things that most people say are related closely to higher job
satisfaction.

So stop waiting for the impossible. Stop wishing silently that other people will
suddenly change. Take control of your own situation, and through a collaborative
approach and a willingness to understand, manage up. Whether you have a difficult,
negligent, and demanding boss or a kind but distractible visionary boss, you’ll both
benefit.

That’s all for today. So long. And see you again soon!

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Review

1. As part of managing up, instead of feeling ___________ for your boss, you
should try to ___________ with him.

a) Praise / innovate
b) Resentment / collaborate
c) Hatred / argue
d) Respect / discuss

2. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of your boss that you are encouraged
to reflect on to understand him more deeply?

a) His core values.

b) His goals.
c) His background.
d) His health.

3. It’s not reasonable to expect your boss to understand your values and goals
if…

a) … you don’t have any.

b) … you never have one-on-one time.
c) … you don’t understand them yourself.
d) … he doesn’t understand your co-workers either.

4. The feedback you give to your boss should combine…

a) … past and future.

b) … yours concerns and your colleagues’ concerns.
c) … easy and difficult changes.
d) … positive and constructive input.

5. Which of the following are recommended strategies in managing up? Select all
that apply:

a) Being proactive.
b) Taking on extra responsibility.
c) Making clear complaints.
d) Quietly expecting your boss to change.

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 6. Which of the following may result from effectively managing up? Select all
that apply:

a) Decreased productivity.
b) More autonomy.
c) A higher workload.
d) Greater trust with your boss.
e) More support from your boss.
f) Fewer avenues for success.
g) A better relationship.
h) More effective co-workers.

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Review Answers

1. As part of managing up, instead of feeling ___________ for your boss, you
should try to ___________ with him.

b) Resentment / collaborate

2. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of your boss that you are encouraged
to reflect on to understand him more deeply?

d) His health.

3. It’s not reasonable to expect your boss to understand your values and goals
if…

c) … you don’t understand them yourself.

4. The feedback you give to your boss should combine…

d) … positive and constructive input.

5. Which of the following are recommended strategies in managing up? Select all
that apply:

a) Being proactive.
b) Taking on extra responsibility.

6. Which of the following may result from effectively managing up? Select all
that apply:

b) More autonomy.
d) Greater trust with your boss.
g) More support from your boss.
h) A better relationship.

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