Almost all of us who have managed others over the years, have had to deal with a boss whose own management style and set of management skills left something to be desired. Managing up — as it is called — is relatively easy when one’s boss has a skill set, style, and personality similar to […]
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Tag Archives: managing up
THE COST OF UNNECESSARY ORGANIZATIONAL SECRECY
December 3, 2010 
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You wonder what’s going on at work? Things just don’t seem right. You called your friend top-side who works with the boss and they told you there have been a lot of behind-closed-door discussions among the managers of late but they are being quite tight-lipped. Your friend also told you they had heard rumors about […]
Read moreMANAGING UP PART IV: MENTORING THE BOSS
March 13, 2010 0 Comments
I met my sergeant soon after I arrived in Germany. His name was Thomas Brett. I was a green, newly minted, Second Lieutenant placed in charge of eight Medical Dispensaries surrounding Stuttgart. I knew just enough about being an Officer with such responsibility to easily get myself into trouble. It quickly became obvious to me […]
Read moreMANAGING UP PART III: DISAGREEING WITH THE BOSS
March 7, 2010 0 Comments
Unless you are one of those managers who just happens to be one of life’s natural contrarians and thus loves being on the opposite side of almost any issue, chances are you don’t relish arguing or disagreeing with your boss. In fact, some managers are so emotionally uncomfortable with conflict that they assiduously avoid such […]
Read moreMANAGING UP PART II: SHAPING EXPECTATIONS
March 4, 2010 3 Comments
I have long believed that operating in the dark with regard to what your supervisor expects of your management performance, is a lot like walking around in the dark in a strange hotel room at 3:00 in the morning; sooner or later you are going to get hurt. Thus, a critical necessity for any manager […]
Read moreMANAGING UP PART I: KEEPING YOUR BOSS INFORMED
February 18, 2010 1 Comment
No boss likes being blind-sided by something that one of her or his subordinate managers had wind of in advance. To help me avoid this mistake, a very senior executive told me early in my management career that I should always keep in mind the difference between three things: (1) those things I could handle […]
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