Managing up: What it means and why it’s important

What is managing up?

Managing up is a strategy in which an employee proactively builds a positive and productive working relationship with their manager. It involves taking the initiative to communicate effectively, understand their manager’s priorities and preferences, and anticipate their needs to help them succeed. Managing up is a valuable skill for employees who want to advance their careers and contribute to the success of their organization. By managing up, employees can effectively align their goals with their manager’s goals, build trust and respect, and establish a strong professional rapport that can lead to greater opportunities for growth and development.

How do you manage up?

Managing up is a crucial skill to have in any workplace. It involves building a positive and productive relationship with your supervisor or manager, anticipating their needs and expectations, and communicating effectively with them. Here are some tips on how to manage up:

1. Understand your manager’s goals and priorities: Take the time to understand what your manager’s goals are and what they prioritize. Be proactive in asking questions about their vision for the team or department and how you can support them.
2. Be proactive: Take initiative and anticipate your manager’s needs. Offer solutions to problems before they become major issues and take on additional responsibilities to lighten their workload.
3. Communicate effectively: Be clear and concise when communicating with your manager. Keep them informed of your progress and any challenges you may be facing. Ask for feedback regularly and be open to constructive criticism.
4. Build trust: Establishing trust with your manager is essential in managing up. Follow through on your commitments, be reliable, and demonstrate that you can handle responsibilities and make good decisions.
5. Be respectful: Show respect for your manager’s time, opinions, and decisions. Avoid gossiping or badmouthing your manager to others and try to find common ground where possible.
6. Be a problem solver: Instead of bringing problems to your manager, bring solutions. Demonstrate that you are capable of finding creative solutions to challenges and are proactive in addressing issues.
7. Development: Economic development involves the growth and improvement of a country’s economy. It involves creating jobs, increasing productivity, and improving living standards. Economic development can be achieved through various means, including investment in infrastructure, education, and technology.
8.  Emotionally resilient: Emotional resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity, stress, or trauma. It is an essential quality that empowers individuals to cope with life’s challenges and maintain a positive outlook. People who are emotionally resilient can manage their emotions effectively, stay calm under pressure, and recover quickly from setbacks or negative experiences.
9. Vision and goal setting:A business vision is a statement that outlines what a company hopes to achieve in the long term. It’s a description of the company’s purpose and aspirations, and it helps to provide direction and motivation for everyone involved in the business. A good vision statement should be inspiring and clear, and it should be communicated clearly throughout the organization.Once a business has a clear vision, it’s important to set goals that will help to achieve that vision. Goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that the business aims to achieve. By setting goals, a business can focus on what’s most important, stay accountable, and track progress toward its vision.
10. Overall manager effectiveness:Overall manager effectiveness can be defined as the ability of a manager to achieve organizational goals and objectives through effective leadership, decision-making, communication, and delegation of tasks. While managerial effectiveness can be influenced by various factors such as organizational culture, resources, and external environment, there are key characteristics that are common to effective managers.Effective managers possess strong leadership skills. They are able to inspire and motivate their teams toward achieving the organization’s goals. They also have a clear vision for the direction of the organization and are able to communicate it effectively to their team members.Effective managers are also good decision-makers. They are able to analyze information and make informed decisions that benefit the organization. They are also able to anticipate potential problems and develop strategies to address them.Effective managers are good communicators. They are able to clearly convey information to their team members and stakeholders. They listen to feedback and are able to adjust their communication style to accommodate different audiences.

    Effective managers are also good at delegating tasks. They are able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and assign tasks accordingly. They also provide support and guidance to their team members to ensure that they are successful in their assigned tasks.

Remember, managing up is not about trying to manipulate or control your manager. It’s about building a positive and productive relationship that benefits both you and your manager, and ultimately leads to success for the team or department.

Why is managing up important?

Managing up is important because it can help create a positive and productive working relationship between you and your boss or supervisor. Managing up involves understanding your boss’s work style, communication preferences, and expectations, and then adapting your own approach to align with them.

When you manage effectively, you can:

1. Build trust and credibility with your boss: By understanding and meeting their expectations, you can demonstrate that you are reliable and competent.
2. Enhance communication: By adapting your communication style to match your boss’s preferences, you can ensure that you are on the same page and avoid misunderstandings.
3. Increase job satisfaction: When you have a good working relationship with your boss, you are more likely to feel supported and valued, which can lead to greater job satisfaction.
4. Improve performance: By meeting your boss’s expectations and understanding their priorities, you can focus your efforts on the most important tasks and achieve better results.

Overall, managing is an important skill for any employee who wants to succeed in their career and build positive relationships with their colleagues and superiors.