Managing Up
A guide to navigating your relationship with your boss and advancing your career.
Summary of 5 Key Points
Key Points
- Understanding your boss’s work style
- Building a strong relationship with your boss
- Managing different types of bosses
- Navigating the workplace successfully
- Taking control of your career
key point 1 of 5
Understanding your boss’s work style
Understanding your boss’s work style is an essential aspect of managing up. This involves comprehending not only your boss’s professional habits but also their communication practices, decision-making patterns, and expectations. It’s about observing them in action, analyzing their behavior, and learning to anticipate their reactions and decisions. By doing this, you can understand how to best approach them, when to bring up certain topics, the type of information they prefer, and how they like it presented…Read&Listen More
key point 2 of 5
Building a strong relationship with your boss
Building a strong relationship with your boss is crucial for career success. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding your boss’s communication style, objectives, pressures, and work style. It suggests tailoring your communication and work methods to align with these aspects. For instance, if your boss prefers concise emails over lengthy reports, you should adjust your communication style accordingly. Moreover, being proactive in providing updates and seeking feedback can enhance this relationship. The idea is to make your boss’s job easier, which in turn can lead to a more favorable view of your performance…Read&Listen More
key point 3 of 5
Managing different types of bosses
Managing Up is a guide to understanding and navigating different types of bosses, whether they are micromanagers, overly laid back, or somewhere in between. It advises that the first step in managing a boss is to understand their management style. For instance, some bosses prefer to have a hands-on approach and oversee every detail, known as micromanaging. These types of bosses require frequent updates and like to be involved in decision-making. The key to managing such a boss is to build trust, show initiative and prove that you can handle tasks independently…Read&Listen More
key point 4 of 5
Navigating the workplace successfully
Navigating the workplace successfully involves understanding your role, the roles of others, and the dynamics that exist within your work environment. This requires the ability to see the big picture, identifying not just the tasks you need to accomplish, but also the relationships you need to manage. ..Read&Listen More
key point 5 of 5
Taking control of your career
Taking control of your career, as delineated in the book, focuses on the concept of ‘managing up,’ a strategic approach to managing relationships with superiors to achieve the best results. This perspective highlights the importance of understanding your superiors’ working style, preferences, and expectations as an integral part of advancing your career. The book emphasizes that open communication, initiative, and adaptability are key to effectively manage upwards…Read&Listen More