While leadership courses abound, few explore the art of managing up, causing controversy and antagonistic points of view. This skill set can be just as crucial, if not more so, to significantly enhance your career trajectory while making your life much easier.
Many employees struggle with overworking or experiencing imposter syndrome due to a poor relationship with their managers. Whether you are the type of employee who spends most of your time adjusting to your boss’s way of working, or on the contrary, you think managing up is not your style, there is a sweet middle.
Gallup shows that 70% of team engagement is attributable to the manager, and you can do something about it.
Managing up involves building a mutually beneficial relationship with your superiors. This enables you to contribute effectively while avoiding the pitfalls of overworking and people-pleasing. Striking the right balance between impressing your higher-ups and maintaining your work-life equilibrium is key to sustained success. Here are some strategies to manage up effectively without sacrificing your well-being.
1) Prioritize communication
Regularly update your supervisor about your progress, challenges, and contributions. By keeping them updated, you demonstrate your commitment and build trust. Find out your boss’ preferred communication method: phone or text? Short or detailed? Effective communication also helps manage expectations, reducing the likelihood of unnecessary last-minute requests that can lead to overworking. Last but not least, practice saying “no” when you need to.
2) Understand their priorities
To manage up effectively, take the time to understand your manager’s goals, objectives, and preferences. Aligning your efforts with their priorities enables you to focus your energy on tasks that truly matter, minimizing the need for excessive overtime.
3) Manage time effectively
Implementing efficient time management techniques is crucial to prevent burnout. Set clear boundaries for work hours and personal time, and stick to them. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadline: the most urgent and important tasks should be done first or scheduled to be done first thing in the morning so that you can feel like you feel accomplished during the rest of the day. Use tools like timeboxing on your calendar or apps to maintain focus and productivity. Communicate your availability to your boss so that they understand your working hours and can adjust their expectations accordingly.
4) Showcase results, not hours
Shift the focus from hours worked to results achieved. Highlight your accomplishments and contributions during meetings and progress reports.
5) Highlight your wins
If you feel uncomfortable sharing your wins but expect your leader to do it for you, remember that not all leaders are good at recognizing efforts. Take the time to highlight your accomplishments and elaborate on the impact to help your boss see the value, especially if they are new to the role or not very knowledgeable about what you do.
6) Manage your career
While it’s your manager’s job to help you grow in your career, you must give them the tools to do it. Tell them about your interests, ask for support and propose changes if you feel disengaged. Managing up doesn’t have to be doing what they want, but most likely helping them help you.
7) Cover for your boss
Help to support their weaknesses. Instead of complaining about their shortcomings, offer to help them improve. If your boss is often late for meetings, you can volunteer to start the next meeting for them. Similarly, if your boss takes a while to respond, you can use that time to continue working on a project.
Effectively managing up without overworking is a delicate balancing act that requires intentional effort and strategy. Managing a healthy and satisfactory relationship with your manager ultimately benefits your team and your organization in the long run.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious at work and need personalized support, consider one-on-one coaching. As a certified career coach, I help high-achieving professionals develop practical strategies tailored to their unique needs, from timeboxing to overcoming burnout. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals with less stress and more confidence. Book your free discovery session here.
