Five Tips for Effective Managing Up

Managing up is the process of maintaining an effective, productive working relationship with your supervisors. More than just keeping your bosses happy, it’s all about building a strong relationship with your manager, keeping them informed and positioning yourself as a trusted team member. Below are five tips to effectively manage up.

• Know what matters and prioritize 
  To effectively manage up, you must first know your manager’s vision and priorities and how they fit within the organization’s overall goals. Understanding this will allow you to put a “why” behind the work you are doing and align your goals and priorities with theirs.

• Communicate openly 
  One of the most important aspects of managing up is strong communication. This is both about getting information and context from your boss, as well as communicating progress upwards, sharing your ideas, insights and requests, and providing feedback. Try to anticipate questions and give information proactively before it is requested.

• Provide value
  It’s not about what your boss can do for you, but what you can do for your boss. Take initiative when the opportunity presents itself, and when a problem arises, bring solutions to the table.

• Build rapport
  We tend to have more positive relationships with people we feel personally connected with, so develop rapport with your boss. Knowing the motivations of your managers – in and out of the office – can help you best position your actions to help achieve their goals.