The secret to managing upwards

If you’re given a choice to manage your boss or be managed by him, what would you choose? Did I just see a spark in your eyes? Or, was it dread?

By the way, I must tell you that it’s nothing like being a sidekick of your boss! Flattery, skullduggery, or any of that masquerading behaviour won’t work here!

What I am proposing here is the concept of managing upwards.

Umm..well! What does that mean? Did we miss that part in our job description? Is it our job to manage our boss or is it the other way round? I’m not sure if I am capable of managing my subordinates; leave alone managing my boss. Moreover, why would any manager wants his subordinate to manage him?

Okay, okay! Calm down. Easy. Inhale, exhale! Breathe……

Managing up is a method that’s based on consciously working for the mutual benefit of yourself and your boss. It’s about taking proactive actions to manage your relationship with your leader.

You’ll probably feel that it’s too overwhelming. It could be because you are reeling under the perceived notion of authority. Or, you might be of the notion that your manager knows everything and you are there to help them with the execution stuff — that it’s not your job to question their strategy, only to implement it. And you would win their respect and admiration if…