How managing upwards can develop your management skills
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Some people are great at managing upwards and do it all the time. Others see it as a necessary evil or even as ‘sucking up to the boss’. If you’re in this latter category – think again. Learning to manage upwards can actually develop your own management skills! Here’s how.
Seeing the bigger picture – understanding our manager’s role helps us see how our work and that of our colleagues fits in with the bigger picture. Our managers will be responsible for delivery of more than just their own tasks and there’ll be pressures and restraints on how they do this. Understanding what they have to contend with will broaden our perspective and develop a more mature understanding of the business we are in.
Where operational work meets strategy – similarly, our managers will be looking for the team to deliver work that fits in with, and supports the broader organisational strategy. Understanding how our work contributes to those goals can be both satisfying and teach us more about how strategy informs the what and why of production or services
The importance of networks – managers rarely operate in isolation. Part of their role will be to ensure the team’s work meets timescales and standards required by other parts of the business. When things go wrong it’s our manager’s ability to work with others constructively that will help resolve the issues. So, observing who they interact with, how they get support and help to resolve issues will help us understand what connections we might benefit from developing ourselves
Understanding different personal drivers – everyone is unique, but there are broad personality types and getting to know these types and how to work alongside them is vital if we are to progress. Managers, especially senior ones, are likely to be far more driven, goal orientated, time poor, unafraid of responsibility, interested in shaping the future, and high achievers than those preferring less responsibility and a ‘9-5’ existence. Working alongside such characters can be demanding but you’ll also learn to communicate succinctly, think quickly, to present solutions to problems that arise, and see opportunities that will enhance the team’s ability to deliver its goals more easily. In other words, to begin thinking like a senior manager yourself.
Would their role suit you? If you aspire to your manager’s role, or something very similar, learning more about their role, the responsibilities, the demands, the advantages, will help you decide if the role would actually suit you. Sometimes when we see the nitty gritty of a role the perceived glamour fades, or we realise we don’t have the right attributes to succeed in such a role. Better to find that out sooner rather than later. It saves time!
For better, for worse – learning more about your manager’s role also gives you time to reflect on what they do really well and what tools and techniques they use that you’d like to master yourself. Conversely, you may see them mismanage situations and can learn as much from this as from their successes.
Gain a sponsor – by delivering your own work to a high standard, demonstrating your interest in understanding the bigger picture and showing an interest in the role and responsibilities of a manager the more likely you are to be seen as someone with potential for the future. Building a good relationship with your manager should help you gain their sponsorship and support when it’s time to move on to a new challenge.
TAKE AWAY
Use your observation, listening and questioning skills to build an informed picture of what your manager’s role entails and what they need to achieve to be seen as successful. In doing so you’ll learn about the business you’re in, how operational performance drives strategy, the importance of networks, how to manage high achievers, tools and techniques to drive success, and potentially gain a sponsor into the bargain.
Seeing the bigger picture – understanding our manager’s role helps us see how our work and that of our colleagues fits in with the bigger picture. Our managers will be responsible for delivery of more than just their own tasks and there’ll be pressures and restraints on how they do this. Understanding what they have to contend with will broaden our perspective and develop a more mature understanding of the business we are in.
Where operational work meets strategy – similarly, our managers will be looking for the team to deliver work that fits in with, and supports the broader organisational strategy. Understanding how our work contributes to those goals can be both satisfying and teach us more about how strategy informs the what and why of production or services
The importance of networks – managers rarely operate in isolation. Part of their role will be to ensure the team’s work meets timescales and standards required by other parts of the business. When things go wrong it’s our manager’s ability to work with others constructively that will help resolve the issues. So, observing who they interact with, how they get support and help to resolve issues will help us understand what connections we might benefit from developing ourselves
Understanding different personal drivers – everyone is unique, but there are broad personality types and getting to know these types and how to work alongside them is vital if we are to progress. Managers, especially senior ones, are likely to be far more driven, goal orientated, time poor, unafraid of responsibility, interested in shaping the future, and high achievers than those preferring less responsibility and a ‘9-5’ existence. Working alongside such characters can be demanding but you’ll also learn to communicate succinctly, think quickly, to present solutions to problems that arise, and see opportunities that will enhance the team’s ability to deliver its goals more easily. In other words, to begin thinking like a senior manager yourself.
Would their role suit you? If you aspire to your manager’s role, or something very similar, learning more about their role, the responsibilities, the demands, the advantages, will help you decide if the role would actually suit you. Sometimes when we see the nitty gritty of a role the perceived glamour fades, or we realise we don’t have the right attributes to succeed in such a role. Better to find that out sooner rather than later. It saves time!
For better, for worse – learning more about your manager’s role also gives you time to reflect on what they do really well and what tools and techniques they use that you’d like to master yourself. Conversely, you may see them mismanage situations and can learn as much from this as from their successes.
Gain a sponsor – by delivering your own work to a high standard, demonstrating your interest in understanding the bigger picture and showing an interest in the role and responsibilities of a manager the more likely you are to be seen as someone with potential for the future. Building a good relationship with your manager should help you gain their sponsorship and support when it’s time to move on to a new challenge.
TAKE AWAY
Use your observation, listening and questioning skills to build an informed picture of what your manager’s role entails and what they need to achieve to be seen as successful. In doing so you’ll learn about the business you’re in, how operational performance drives strategy, the importance of networks, how to manage high achievers, tools and techniques to drive success, and potentially gain a sponsor into the bargain.