Top 10 Tips for Managing Up

It is good to be a good manager of your employess; it is great to be a good manager of your boss!

Tip #1: Avoid the quick no. If you press your boss or other executives for a quick yes or no decision, you can expect that decision to be a no. No, it is too risky. No, we do not have enough resources. No, it is not the right time. To avoid the "no" decision, help your boss or the executives who you need to support your case. Remind them where you last left the discussion, quickly summarize options, focus only where you need their help, and be prepared with the supporting information that they are likely to need to make a "yes" decision for you.

Tip #2: Manage time. Your problem may be important to big you, but it also may be less important and much smaller to your boss and other executives. Respect and manage the time of your executives. The more simple the problem or issue at hand is, the less time you should have to spend on it with your executives. Do not confuse and intermix your more frequent problems with the most important ones where you really need time and attention.

Tip #3: Carefully ask for opinions. It is rare to have a boss that when asked for their opinion will use the psychological ping-pong approach of retuning the question to the person who asked. Rather, once asked and given, the opinion becomes a decision or constraint of some kind. And that opinion may not always be that of a genius or visionary. So, if you don't want your boss's opinion to thwart your achievements, to slow the speed of decision-making, or cloud the viewpoint, then don't ask for it. A good rule to follow; don't ask for an opinion if you don't one.

Tip #4: Deliver context and call to action, not just the mail. Bosses do not need a mailman, they need someone who can turn grapes into wine. So don't just deliver overly detailed reports or dashboards that have to be relearned every time you look at them, take the time to prepare for your boss the context and call to action of what the reports mean.

Tip #5: Come with solutions, not just problems. We have all heard the maxim, "There are no such things as problems, only opportunities." This is a good rule to abide by, especially when meeting with your boss. Be clear on what you want from your boss such as advice, support, actions, or acceptance. Don't just say you have a problem and toss the monkey.

Tip #6: Don't assume your boss knows what you do. Don't assume your boss knows as much as you do, but do assume your boss can understand the key issues you have and need help with and can make good decisions. As expert, you will need to educate your boss from time to time. After all, you spend all of your time and that of your team on the issue; your boss does not.

Tip #7: Ask forgiveness, not permission. If you ask permission for something that you want to do, then you run the risk of having that permission not given. Constantly seek to expand your level of authority by exercising good judgment and doing. From time to time you might have to ask forgiveness, but if you do not overstep your level of authority from time to time then you do not know where that level truly is.

Tip #8: Deliver on what you promise. It takes time to build trust with your boss. While your boss may want to trust you right away, it is your ability to delivery what you have promised that builds the foundation of trust between you. Avoid being seen as unreliable on account of taking on more that you can possibly do.

Tip #9: Situation awareness. Seek to employee situational leadership techniques in reverse. That is, optimize your interactions with your boss with respect to the willingness and ability of your boss. You have to treat a boss that is unwilling and able differently than one that is willing able able. Be aware of your situation and choose your actions accordingly.

Tip #10: Face. Don't ever lose face with your boss and leadership team. You can lose face by not doing what you promised. You can lose face by having a bad attitude. And you can lose face by having an "I told you so" attitude when the decisions that your boss makes and risks that your boss takes don't turn out right. Once you lose face, it will be hard for your boss and other executives to view you as an "A" player.