1266: Managing UP: Maximizing Efficiency for Your Boss’s Sake by Laura Stack of The Productivity Pro

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily Episode 1266. Managing Up Maximizing Efficiency for Your Bosses Sake by Laura Stack of the ProductivityPro.com

[00:01:11] And I am Dan, your personal narrator. Welcome to this Tuesday edition of OWD and we're going to get right to it now as we hear from Laura and optimize your life.

[00:01:21] Managing Up Maximizing Efficiency for Your Bosses Sake by Laura Stack of the ProductivityPro.com

[00:01:33] Quote. Higher people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.

[00:01:43] End quote. David Oglevy, British advertising executive, often called the father of advertising.

[00:01:50] Most people regard management as overseeing and directing the work of subordinates, giving orders, delegating tasks, providing guidance,

[00:01:58] and making sure everyone consistently produces quality output. Of course that is a fair textbook definition,

[00:02:05] but management doesn't always flow downhill. Great employees manage up as well. In recent years the theme has become an increasingly popular one in management circles.

[00:02:16] Basically, managing up hinges on actions that make life easier for both the boss and the employee, offsetting the boss's bad productivity habits when necessary.

[00:02:25] My office manager, Jin, is a classic case in point of one who manages up superbly.

[00:02:31] The downside of managing up. Before I discuss ways to maximize upward management,

[00:02:37] let's better define what managing up is not because some people are leery of the whole idea.

[00:02:43] In a recent Forbes article, for example, the writer expresses his fear that some workers might interpret the need for managing up as a license for mind games like corporate climbing and brown nosing and advises against even trying it.

[00:02:57] People being people, some will deliberately twist the concept of managing up and some will just misapply it.

[00:03:04] Yet in condemning the practice, I believe the Forbes writer underestimates the intelligence and self-interest of most managers and dismisses a valuable workplace strategy.

[00:03:14] I want Jin to figure out how to manage me better. The old management philosophy of she'll do what I say when I tell her to is outdated.

[00:03:22] I look to Jin for her advice and trust her to take initiative to tell me what needs to be done rather than sitting around waiting for me to tell her to do it.

[00:03:31] As a manager, any unreasonable demands, last minute urgent task dumping, poor prioritization, unrealistic deadlines and similar productivity bombs aren't acceptable.

[00:03:43] If your boss is really like that, there's nothing wrong with taking respectful action to head those counterproductive behaviors off at the past.

[00:03:51] To make it absolutely clear, managing up does not include manipulation, deliberately causing confusion, undermining authority or damaging credibility.

[00:04:01] Aside from causing resentment that can halt your advancement, such amateur games negatively impact your personal integrity.

[00:04:09] Managing up appropriately. When managing up then, your goal must be to help both yourself and the boss, ultimately to the benefit of the entire organization.

[00:04:19] Now that we've discussed what managing up isn't, let's look at ways to approach it correctly.

[00:04:25] 1. Align yourself with your boss.

[00:04:28] Determine what's most important and convenient for your boss and shoot for those goals. If you don't know what's needed, ask.

[00:04:35] Jin comes to me each week with a prioritized task list of what she believes is the correct order, reflecting the best use of her time, and asks me to reprioritize any changes.

[00:04:46] She basically asks, help me help you. In doing so, you can more easily anticipate what your boss is likely to require of you.

[00:04:53] Would she like a detailed weekly listing of what you and your team have accomplished? When should you approach her with questions?

[00:05:00] Would it be best to leave your suggestions for her daily drive time or would she prefer to handle them during a particular time block or on a specific day of the week?

[00:05:08] 2. Determine her preferred communication style.

[00:05:12] Some bosses like one-on-one meetings. Another might delegate directives down one level for distribution.

[00:05:19] I like Jin sitting close to me within your shot so I can randomly ask her to do things as I triage my day, so I've literally placed her workstation right outside my office.

[00:05:28] She has spontaneous Laura in the office days and focused Laura out of the office days.

[00:05:34] Other bosses prefer to communicate on the phone or by email. I know a writer who regularly works with a magazine editor who discourages phone calls.

[00:05:42] The editor sends warm, chatty emails but she believes calls just waste time. However, a client of mine believes it's much more efficient to pick up the phone and end of all of your emails back and forth over a particular email.

[00:05:54] The more you can sync your communication style with your bosses, the better you can serve her.

[00:05:59] 3. Discover your boss' personal style.

[00:06:03] Does she come across as analytical, easy-going, passionate, authoritarian or people-oriented?

[00:06:10] The latter may want to hear from you daily. If so, don't miss an update. Conversely, an authoritarian may never want to hear from you unless something goes wrong.

[00:06:19] Adjust your own style to mesh with hers in order to limit friction and do your job more effectively. Never take your boss' personality personally.

[00:06:28] You might think she doesn't like you, when in fact you might be the most indispensable person in her life and she wouldn't dream of taking a promotion without taking you along.

[00:06:37] 4. Do quality work.

[00:06:40] Turning in projects on time and under budget should be a given. True value lies in paying close attention to everything important to your boss.

[00:06:48] Take initiative without asking, lending a hand whenever she needs one. Keep her informed per her personal style and communication preferences.

[00:06:56] Build trust. In short, provide such good value she'd be a fool to even think of letting you go.

[00:07:02] Gin thinks of things before I do and lets me know which he's put in place. It's always such a relief.

[00:07:08] 5. Avoid company politics. Pretend politics don't exist. Do your job well and stand by your boss. Some may sneer at this as sucking up but in reality it's a little thing I like to call loyalty.

[00:07:22] Enough said. And 6. Look for ways to increase your value.

[00:07:27] Search out new responsibilities you can take up on the boss's behalf as well as new opportunities for your team or group.

[00:07:34] Take over appointment scheduling. Attend meetings for your boss. Take over some of your boss' work.

[00:07:39] Look for activities that have pressing deadlines but are low value for your boss.

[00:07:44] Gin started drafting contracts and invoices for my review voluntarily after watching the process and determining it was a snap.

[00:07:52] Never stop learning more about your job and how you can contribute. Study, observe, participate and share what you've discovered.

[00:07:59] The final analysis. When you manage up properly you increase your value not only to your boss but to your entire organization.

[00:08:08] You become a treasured asset she doesn't want to lose. Managing up requires neither mental telepathy nor manipulation. Just good, careful work and a willingness to please.

[00:08:19] Not to channel Horatio Alger but managing up produces mostly to doing your job well and cheerfully, working hard and maintaining a willingness to make life easier for your leadership so that life is easier for you.

[00:08:31] Forget trying to manipulate anyone and ignore the distrustful nabobs who claim the boss doesn't really want your input anyway. She definitely does.

[00:08:41] You just listen to the post titled Managing Up. Maximizing efficiency for your boss's sake by Laura Stack of the ProductivityPro.com.

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[00:11:24] and the locations achieve results have made her one of the most sought after experts and keynote speakers in her field.

[00:11:29] Laura has been featured in the New York Times USA today the Wall Street Journal entrepreneur and Forbes magazine and has been a spokesperson for Microsoft,

[00:11:38] Danon 3M, Office Depot, Xerox and more. And if that wasn't enough her client list includes top Fortune 500 companies like Starbucks, Walmart, Bank of America, GM, Wells Fargo and Time Warner plus government agencies such as the US Air Force.

[00:11:54] Air Force Academy, the Census Bureau, the US Senate and the IRS. So there is a lot to learn from her and please come by the productivity pro.com for a whole lot more she's got her videos books, store newsletter and blog all there on that one site again that is the productivity pro.com

[00:12:11] And that's going to do it for today I appreciate you being here and subscribing or following the show wherever you get your audio

[00:12:17] and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.