Four ways to manage up without getting the smack-down « Flackrabbit: Public Relations Flack | Digital Strategist

Four ways to manage up without getting the smack-down

07.11.10Posted by Margie in All posts, Productivity/Career, Public relations1 CommentTags: bosses, Business, Careers, leadership, manage up, managers, Public relations, stop sitting around, transparency

I frequently hear from in-house PR pros that their talents are underutilized at work. The truth is that unless your manager is or once was a communications professional, she probably doesn’t actually know how to best use your skill set, let alone take your career to the next level. Don’t take it personally; one doesn’t know what one doesn’t know. Rather than be sad about it, you should view this as an opportunity to “manage up.”

The most successful PR folks I know have paved their own career path by respectfully teaching their boss, boss’ boss and team members how to make the most of a communicator’s talents. Here’s how:

Show up with your own agenda, get buy-in; then, get to work: you are a professional communicator, which means not an hour goes by without you thinking about something creative, strategic or worth investigating. Take the time to map out those thoughts and put them on paper. Be specific about your goal, tactics, timeline and deliverables. Then, schedule a meeting with your manager and present your plan. I’ll bet you a latte that memo gets the greenlight. More importantly, you’ve proven you are proactive and thoughtful. And if your ideas are successful, you’ll make your boss look like a rock star–and she didn’t have to lift a finger. That means the next time you present a memo, she’s even more likely to approve it.

Take care of your boss(es): managing up is only successful when your manager trusts you. Your actions must prove that you are always acting in her/the company’s best interest. It’s often the little things, like reminding her of deadlines and helping her avoid office drama, that will assure her you’re not trying to take her job; you are simply striving to be fantastic at your own. I can’t stress this one enough. If your managing up is seen as an attempt at mutiny or to disable company hierarchy, you will fail.

Lead by example: your manager may not be outcomes- or deadline-driven, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t. Set deadlines and goals for your work and then hold yourself accountable for those results. When your manager and team sees that you are a sincere self-starter who gets things done, they will likely listen more intently to your feedback and suggestions–or at the very least, begin to view you as a leader among your peers.

Be completely transparent: your boss should never have to wonder about your motives and actions. And if your plans are working, she needs to know that, too! Start sending your manager an email every few weeks that recaps your achievements and current to-do list. If a colleague asks what you’re up to, or why you seem to be setting your own agenda, explain your vision for your team’s communication work; then, ask for your colleague’s feedback.

The bottom line: life is too short and you are too talented to sit and wait for your boss, a mentor or fate to boost your career to the next level. There is no guarantee that someone “older and wiser” is ever going to give you appropriate marching orders or come up with something brilliant for you to do. Stop waiting; manage up and pave your own path to success.