Managing Up: A Crucial Skill in the Modern Workplace
By Terre Short
In today’s fast-paced, information-rich work environment, the traditional approach of simply putting your head down and doing your job is no longer sufficient for career growth. Your hard work may not automatically be recognized, nor do your contributions speak for themselves. This article explores why managing up to your leader and even your leader’s leader (skip-level) is essential in the modern workplace, and how it can benefit both you and your organization.
It has become incumbent upon all contributors, including leaders, to actively manage themselves up routinely. This doesn’t mean constant self-promotion or pestering your superiors with trivial updates. Rather, it involves strategically and thoughtfully communicating your value, achievements, and solutions for challenges to those above you in the organizational hierarchy.
What is Managing Up?
Managing up is the art of working proactively with your superiors to achieve the best possible results for you, your leader, and your organization. It involves:
- Understanding your manager’s goals, challenges, and preferences
- Aligning your work with organizational priorities
- Advocating for yourself – communicating effectively about your achievements and challenges
- Anticipating needs and offering solutions
- Building a positive, productive relationship with your superiors
The Importance of Self-Advocacy
One crucial aspect of managing up is the ability to advocate for yourself. This means being able to articulate your accomplishments, strengths, and value to the organization. In one-on-one meetings with your leader or skip-level manager, you should be prepared to discuss:
- What you’re proud of, what you consider a win for the week or month.
- What’s going well with your work or projects.
- What strengths you have been leveraging lately.
- How your work aligns with broader organizational goals.
This is not bragging! Bragging serves the person speaking, managing up is in service to others. Your leader and skip-level leader benefit when you keep them informed about what’s going well – they often only hear about problems, so providing a balanced view is valuable. Remember, they have lots on their plates and will appreciate your proactive updates.
Here are a few key differences between bragging and managing yourself up:
- Bragging is self-serving and often comes across as boastful or arrogant.
- Managing up is about providing valuable information to your superiors that helps them do their jobs better and keep their finger on the pulse of the organization.
- Bragging focuses solely on personal accomplishments without context.
- Managing up connects your achievements to broader team or organizational goals.
When done correctly, managing up doesn’t make you look self-important; instead, it demonstrates your understanding of the bigger picture and your commitment to the organization’s success.
Benefits of Managing Up
There are many benefits to doing this well and routinely, here are the top six:
- Increased Visibility: By regularly communicating your achievements and value, you ensure that your contributions are recognized.
- Better Alignment: Keeping your leader informed helps ensure that your work remains aligned with organizational priorities.
- Improved Relationships: Regular, positive communication strengthens your relationship with your superiors.
- Career Advancement: Increased visibility and demonstrated value can lead to more opportunities for growth and promotion.
- Problem-Solving: By highlighting challenges you have overcome and providing potential solutions to your leader, you position yourself as a proactive problem-solver.
- Reduced Stress: Clear communication can reduce misunderstandings and align expectations, leading to less workplace stress.
Managing Up to Skip-Level Leaders
How often do you meet with your leader’s leader – your skip level leader? I hope the answer is at least quarterly. These conversations are important for both of you. This is an opportunity for showcasing your contributions to the organization, as well as continually gaining perspective on priorities and giving your work purpose. Communication is challenging in these information-packed times, which makes these one-on-one meetings critical, for the same reasons mentioned above with your manager – see benefits 1-6!
Conclusion
Effectively managing up is not just a nice-to-have skill; it’s a necessity for career growth and organizational success. By keeping your superiors informed about your achievements, challenges, and value-add to the organization, you not only increase your own visibility but also provide valuable insights that can help your leaders make better decisions.
Remember, managing up is not about self-promotion or bragging. It’s about proactive communication that serves others by providing a more complete picture of what’s happening on the ground. By mastering this skill, you position yourself as a valuable asset to your team and organization, paving the way for future growth and opportunities.
In the end, advocating for yourself by managing up builds your own career development and is in service to your colleagues, superiors, and organization as a whole. By clearly articulating your contributions and aligning them with organizational goals, you help create a more transparent, efficient, and successful workplace for everyone.
Terre Short is a best-selling author, executive leadership coach, dynamic speaker and learning experience creator who connects from her heart. Visit ThrivingLeaderCollaborative.com to learn more.
