Learn How to Manage Your Boss
Managing Up was always a sensible approach to learning how to manage your boss to improve one’s professional growth. With today’s economic conditions, heightened competition and evolving technology creating uncertainty and potentially fewer opportunities in the workplace, nurturing this key relationship becomes even more important.
You may consider yourself a reliable employee who produces high quality deliverables within budgetary and time constraints, but an uncomfortable relationship with your manager can work against your advancement. Even if you enjoy a good working relationship with him/her, there are always areas which you can improve, such as ways of communicating and handling differences.
Essentially, Managing Up is about creating a more successful working relationship between you and your manager. It is not about flattery or politics; it is about cooperating and building trust so that individual, shared and organizational goals can be achieved. More specifically, learning how to manage your boss involves being sensitive to the preferred work styles of your manager and adjusting your behavior to better facilitate a smooth working relationship.
Failure to “manage” this important work relationship can lead to missed opportunities to demonstrate skills, lost promotions, damaged reputations and even forced resignations.
Below are some characteristics that depict each managerial style:
1. Trendsetter
• Willing to experiment, likes change, is a risk taker.
• Acts with self confidence.
• Prefers variety and challenges to a routine job.
• Takes on leadership roles. Is competitive and controlling.
• Creates chaos with constant change.
2. Outgoing
• Prefers flexibility, little control by others.
• Communicates easily with many people.
• Responds well to recognition; values helping people.
• Loses focus and wastes time with too much talking.
• Enjoys conversation and loses track of time easily.
• Committed to everyone in the group having a say.
• Wants people to feel involved and appreciated.
3. Perfectionist
• Wants everything to be right, in compliance with laws, standards, policies and procedures.
• Dislikes chaos or unpredictable working environments.
• Expects him/herself and others to be experts.
• Overly critical and demanding of self and others.
• Always wants to find a better way to do something.
4. Stable
• Avoids surprises.
• Works/communicates well in a small group.
• Works steadily on routine tasks; is neat and organized.
• Needs detailed directions.
• Has difficulty in an unclear, changing situation.
• Prefers to work in established patterns and make changes gradually.
For more information on how to manage your boss, check Yael Zofi’s book, TOPS Managing Up or the AIM Strategies® Summer 2013 Newsletter.
