How to manage your boss
Managing upwards rarely occurs to anyone. But learning to manage our bosses is important if we want to obtain the best possible results for them, ourselves, and the company.
Now I don’t mean to actually manage your boss; what I mean is to manage the relationship you both share so you can thrive together. Your boss is an important person in your working life, so it’s crucial for you to learn how to deal with them.
Here are 5 ways to “lead up” offered by Craig Groeschel in his leadership podcast which I found clear and helpful:
1. Honour your boss
This is tricky for most people, especially if they’re serving under a less-than-amazing leader. But don’t confuse respect with honour - respect is earned, while honour is given. So regardless of how you think you can do a better job than your boss, honour is still due as there is a reason they’re ranked above you.
To influence your boss and be tasked with more responsibilities, you first have to show you’ve got their back.
2. Choose the right timing
If you want to pitch something to your manager, observe their timing and approach them appropriately. For example, a budget approval after an intense day of meetings is unlikely to happen. When you do secure a meeting, value their time by being well prepared.
3. Examine your motives
When pitching ideas to your boss, approach with a motive to push a bigger mission forward. Don’t just point out problems but bring solutions.
It’s okay if your solutions aren’t perfect, because what managers really look for are team members who bother to think and care about improving the organisation. Self-serving motives are unlikely to get you in their good books.
4. Show initiative
Take initiative to lighten your leader’s load. The best team members don’t need to be told what to do because they’ll intuitively find things to do on their own. Your boss will be grateful for it, and your influence will increase.
5. Truth always trumps flattery
The bigger an organisation and the more successful a leader, the harder it is for their people to tell them the truth. It’s common to find people telling their bosses what they want to hear, but in reality most bosses value truth over flattery.
I myself have gotten difficult feedback from my team members before, but I swallowed my pride and accepted it because I knew they wanted to see me improve as a leader. I’d rather surround myself with such people than yes-men.
Managing your boss isn’t easy. Done incorrectly, you could be labelled as a troublemaker, rebellious or just plain disrespectful.
But when done right, you’ll be bringing value to your boss and company by providing solutions to problems your boss might not even be aware exist. Your ability to lead upwards now will determine your ability to move up later. ●