Manage Up!
Managing up is about understanding your manager’s style and context to select or create structure using processes or tools to help you get what you need from them. Some examples of tools include:
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Use a Minimum specifications tool to develop a set of shared success criteria
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Ask structured questions to help draw out the info you want from your supervisor
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Example: If developing a newsletter, What are the goals of the newsletter? Who is the target audience?
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Use assessment tools like the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory, Disc assessment, Myers Briggs, Strengths Finder2.0, Ennegram, etc to better understand yourself and your manager’s work, communication and conflict styles.
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Create a decision matrix or provide some options to help indecisive managers narrow down the choices.
Solicit Feedback
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Having awareness of your own needs / challenges can support you in sharing specific requests for support, feedback and guidance
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Find ways to share your plan and progress with your manager by adding it to your regular check in agenda or create a periodic “feedback” meeting
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Document your success and growth on a constant basis. Consider keeping a running list of your “Big Wins” or a folder of compliments and achievements
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Ask other trusted colleagues and mentors for feedback. It can be as informal as asking three questions as suggested by adrienne marie brown in Emergent Strategy: “What is my impact in the world? What am I embodying? Where can I grow?"
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Use more formal feedback tools like a 360 evaluation to gain perspective on your personal leadership style.
POP for Success
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Take initiative and set the agenda to ensure the time and space to address the items you find important. Add in Rose, Thorn, Bud to share what you see as challenges, highlights, and opportunities both personally and professionally.
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Be specific about the purpose, outcomes, and process. POP is a great way to provide clarity on your intentions and aspirations, and help to produce shared language and understanding between you and your manager
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Include standing sections on your agenda for “Big Wins” (successes) and Rocks (challenges) so sharing your progress and requesting support is structurally built in to your meetings
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