Let’s face it: we all have a boss, maybe more than one.
Whether you are the CEO of a global corporation, an assistant to the assistant or a solopreneur, we all have someone we must answer to and who in some way determines our success. There is the unspoken agreement that the person on the other side of the desk will evaluate your work and make decisions that could impact your career and maybe influence your life decisions.
Many of us think of managing as supervising the people who work directly for us. This is only one aspect of a much more complex dynamic.
Let me share with you a well-kept secret.
Successful people spend as much (if not more) of their time getting into orbit and building solid relationships with those who have influence and power than they do supervising their direct reports.
We call this “Managing Up” – where time and energy is spent getting those above us to do and think with you and about you.
OK, I can hear you now.
“Jane that is all well and good but…”
“I already have too much to do, don’t put another thing on my plate.”
“I work for an egotistical, mercurial maniac: do you really think he cares about me?”
“Manage my boss, I can’t find my boss!”
“Should I speak with this week’s supervisor, last week’s or next week’s?”
“I don’t want to look like some kiss-up. They’ll see right through it.”
“I am a hard working adult. Why should I have to play these games?”
“His personal life is a mess and I don’t want to be his shrink or repairman”. Etc, etc, etc.
I hear you, but I also want you to know:
The average successful executive spends 10%, yes, a full 10% of their work time, creating and nurturing professional relationships – a lot of it with decision makers.
Sound impossible? Too hard? Let’s think of a few incentives.
- More people are fired for lack of chemistry with leaders than for incompetence.
- You will not be in the room when your salary, bonus or promotion is discussed. Your boss will.
- Someone will eventually replace your boss, why shouldn’t it be you?
It is hard to support someone you really don’t know. Does your boss know you and your work well enough to represent you?
- Admit it. Layoffs and transfers rarely are impartial or objective. It is harder to let go of a person you know and like.
– The smart people can recognize an individual’s work. Even if your boss takes all of the credit, your signature will jump off the page. Get on the page.
Let me ask you…
What if I told you you could hire a smart, motivated person who does high quality work with limited supervision? Projects will always be on time and on budget. This person will seem to know what you want before you do and will offer suggestions and innovative ideas on a regular basis. The hire will also demonstrate support for you in public and will disagree with you in private. What if the employee could be trusted in word and action? He/she will also have just the right balance between telling you enough and not overloading you with details. Did I mention that this potential hire is great to be around, actually knows you as a person without getting too personal, can laugh, throws off stress easily and will say “no” to you when you are being unreasonable. You will look forward to seeing this person. As a team you enhance each other’s performance. Your new employee is ambitious and wants to succeed: both of you will. Your boss likes your choice and that will be favorable to both of you. Warning! The employee is an individual and will hold you to your word and will expect you to carry your share of the work.
You have 5 seconds – Do you hire him/her?
Five more seconds – Are YOU this employee?
Let’s translate this into ACTION TIPS that will help you manage your boss with ease and greater success.
Know the person not just the title. I often hear people refer to senior executives by title. “The Sr. VP told me…” or “the head of HR said.” While this establishes rank, it also shows how you view the person. You wouldn’t hire someone without knowing them, how can you work with someone you don’t know? Work at finding out more about the person you work for, their interests and passions. Be aware of what keeps him/her up at night, what is his greatest work fear and what would be a great embarrassment for her? A quick glance around your boss’s office is a good start – photos, objects on walls, even the screen saver can tell you a lot. Start slowly with some questions and gauge the reaction. There is truth to the adage about staying away from religion and politics. Is there a topic that always brings a smile or a comment? Many executives are actually very shy people (even the big mouths). Others are private. Remember the higher up, the more isolation and the less people know about the real person. People think they are wasting time with small talk. It is valuable when done appropriately and with a respect for time. It is how you build a relationship and relationships are how you build a career. Statistics show that top achievers spend 10% of their work time building relationships, many of them upward.
Let your boss know you. There is nothing more awkward than a plane ride, lunch, or even standing on line with someone who knows nothing about you at a time when talking business is out of the question. Offer a glimpse into your life. It doesn’t have to be particularly revealing but sharing the fact you saw a great movie, that the skiing was the best last weekend, or saying how happy you are that your child’s team made it to the finals feeds a conversation. Asking for advice, maybe about a good place to eat in a certain city, is flattering and not invasive. All of this shows another dimension of you, a willingness to be open and throws out some conversation starters. Also, what does your workplace say? If you want it to say “I am professional and have a life” carefully select items that reflect you “the business person”. No one wants to see photos of you in a bathing suit (I promise), your kids maybe, but not you. On the other hand, if you have a wonderful collection of vintage pens display them proudly. Note – people who have nothing in their offices always made me think they were on the verge of quitting or not planning to stay long. Move in; look like you are planning on being part of the team.
No surprises. I was in the habit of saying to my employees, “The only surprises I like are in blue boxes with white ribbon that say Tiffany & Co. on the top.” Everyone likes to deliver good news. Be the one your boss knows will tell him/her before disaster strikes. The worst experience is hearing of a problem from above because no one informed you. Tip: When bringing bad news, have possible solutions in hand so the focus leans forward, not on blame. Whenever possible give bad news in-person. It is easier to measure the impact and shows courage and responsibility. Face-to-face also affords you the opportunity to be part of the rescue squad. Be careful how you phrase bad news. It is what it is so don’t “sandwich it” with small talk or irrelevant information. Attempt to be neutral about the message and keep it factual. If at all possible, do not deliver surprises to anyone just prior to a big presentation or meeting unless it is relevant to the moment.
Know the biorhythms. Your boss’s and yours. If you are an owl and your boss is a lark figure out what is a time that is best for both of you. Try for those times when scheduling meetings and phone conversations. There is nothing worse than a cheery person in the morning when you are not a morning person. Or a person running down the hall to talk with you when you are catching a late night train.
Take what she hates off of her desk. All of us have tasks we hate to do. Figuring out what those are for your boss will make her happy and will give you less grief. When I say “take it off her desk” I don’t necessarily mean you do it, but figure out a way to get it done or make it easier for her to do it. No one knows all the ins and outs of every application. Share your knowledge. The more free time your supervisor has, the more quality time you will get.
Schedule time together. It doesn’t matter whether the person you work for is down the hall or on another continent, having time together to agree upon strategies and tactics as well as keeping each other informed is essential. E-mails are the easy way to avoid conversations and delay buy-in. Regularly scheduled time together is best. Request the slot. Offer to set the agenda and honor the time limit. Never underestimate the quality of time on a plane, in a car or before a meeting.
Self-evaluations are important. If you work in an organization where self-evaluations are part of the performance appraisal process, know how influential they can be. Also know that most executives hate writing performance evaluations and are terrible at doing them. This is why you must invest time and effort in writing yours. I cannot tell you how many times I saw my exact words reflected on the final document. Speak in measurable terms; focus on the highlights not a laundry list of completed tasks. Always show how the team, department, organization and, of course, your boss, benefited from your stellar work. Give your supervisor talking points that will make the compensation committee conversation easier and more financially rewarding. Note: Self-evaluations are much easier to write if you work on them throughout the year. Keep notes in a file and then refer to them when the time comes. Do this at least once a month and included praising e-mails and articles you wrote.
Praise publicly and argue privately. This adage is true for couples, parents, as well as you and your boss. The attribute most desired in employees is trust. Not that you have to agree but that your boss knows you will not shoot down an idea or argue a point at a time he will lose face. Does that mean you lie or deceive, of course not. What it does require is for you to disagree one-on-one or with the knowledge that you do not see things the same way. The weaker the leader, the more you have to watch for this. Holding back is not an option.
Encourage your supervisor to market you. I was happy to have mentors but always better compensated when I had a sponsor(s). A sponsor (not the ones in AA) is someone who pounds the table in your defense when you are not present. She advocates for your promotion and negotiates the best deal for you when the sharks are circling the bonus pool. Don’t assume anyone is spending too much time thinking about your career. They’re focused on their own. But there is a way for you to get someone to sponsor you. First of all, ask for what you deserve and have earned. Acknowledge to your boss that she has the power to influence the decision. Ask how you can help her do the marketing – talking points, images, direction. Let the person know you trust they will be pushing for you and how beneficial it will be for both of you. Never threaten, let them scare themselves.
Develop a solid relationship with your supervisor’s assistant. Never under estimate the power of the executive assistant. She/he is often the eyes and ears of an executive and his/her opinion holds and wields considerable weight. Assistants are gatekeepers, timekeepers, calendar rulers, the image maker and the informant. Many executives, including myself, have no tolerance for anyone who even tries to abuse their assistant. Build a relationship, show respect for the position and acknowledge the influence.
Do you work for:
A micro-manager? Micro-managing is a form of control and people who feel a lack of control need assurance and re-assurance. Keep in mind that changing this behavior is very difficult and that some people have been forced to micromanage because they have been let down by employees in the past. Suggestion: At the beginning of each project agree as to how you will keep your boss informed. Over communicate. Send a daily e-mail, share the file online, or leave a voicemail, whatever will assure the person “I am on top of the project, everything you expected is being taken care of and I will let you know if anything changes”. Stick to the format no matter how boring or wasteful it seems. Start using phrases like “you can trust me to”, “let me assure you”, “you can count on me to…”. Keep in mind that for a person like this to trust takes time and positive experiences. In the meantime try to remember a situation when you attempted to control something — How did it feel? What made it easier to deal with? What kind of project or person makes you want to micromanage?
The Super Critical Boss? There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism; in fact it is often the best teacher. But what about the manager whose message is always “nothing is good enough”? Not to get too psychological with this but we know it is really his/her problem and probably one with a long history. So first and foremost you have to filter the criticism. Repeat to yourself – “This has nothing to do with me as a person”. Stating the obvious can be very beneficial. Try a technique coaches use when a naysayer is in the group- predict the behavior. “Now, I know you will spot the problems but I was wondering if you can share the pluses?” Some companies schedule supervisor reviews or 360 degree instruments. This would be a time to identify the problem. I have never seen a situation where the super critical boss picks on only one person. If you are experiencing the pain, so are others. So again, don’t take it personally. If the criticism is unbearable and it appears nothing is going to be done to rectify the situation I say “get out” – get a transfer or find a new job. This kind of environment is toxic.
The Do-Nothing Boss? First of all make sure you are right. Many executives are responsible for work that they do not share with their employees and are actually working on things divorced from you. Assuming this is not the case, you must first decide if this is such a bad thing. I have had supervisors who created more work for me when they did something than when they didn’t and generally it was useless fluff. Next, understand the politics. Why might this be tolerated by senior management? Some organizations are paternal to a fault; others have more important things to watch (a good indicator that you need to move to a more dynamic place internally or on the outside). If your boss is the dumb, unemployable daughter and you are in a family run business you have your answer. If none of this is true, you need to get your mark on everything you do. Just because someone does not work does not mean they don’t take the credit. Write the memos, start saying “I”, deliver the presentations so that it is clear you are the author. While this is going on strategize getting away from the do nothing-boss. The last thing you want is to be associated with the department. Start shopping for “new and more challenging situations” and do it soon.
Here is your assignment:
Step 1 - Monitor the amount of time you spend building relationships with your supervisor or other people of influence.
Step 2 - Look for opportunities to increase the quality and quantity of time growing work relationships.
Step 3 – Increase your contact by 10%
Step 4 – Figure out which profile best fits your boss and apply some of the tips discussed in the description.
Step 5 - Which profile is the way you manage?
Steps 6 – 15 – Choose one “Action Tip” each week and apply it to your repertoire.
ExecutiveCoachNY: Career strategies for the competitive edge
Having difficulty starting or completing this assignment?
Seeing yourself in many of the descriptions?
Want to get sustainable results in terms of
salary, promotion and less stress?
What to do?
Contact Jane Cranston, at ExecutiveCoachNY.
Schedule a free get-acquainted appointment.
Jane Cranston is an executive coach and management consultant based in New York City with clients nationwide. She coaches individuals and teams to enhance their people management skills and gain the competitive edge at work. Clients who work with Jane report receiving higher compensation, increased recognition with less stress and greater ease.
Jane brings 20 years of senior corporate experience as well as the satisfaction of opening 3 successful businesses. Trained as a coach, clinician and educator she shares with her clients her education, training, job and life experiences, as well as the tools and assessments to make the coaching experience focused, relevant and rewarding.
She can be reached through her web site ExecutiveCoachNY.com.