Some Things To Avoid When Managing Upwards

As a football daft adolescent I was a keen reader of the magazine Shoot! which was famed for such features as cardboard league ladders and a cartoon strip called You are the Ref. In the latter of these an imaginary situation from a game of football would be described and the reader had to make what he or she thought to be the correct refereeing decision. It was through this column that I learned such facts as a player cannot be offside from a throw in, and a goal scored inadvertently by a stray dog on the pitch would not stand. So to pay homage to this entertaining and informative strip, here is my own effort, minus the pictures, You are the Middle Manager.

A worker is about to send a package to a client and she asks you, as her manager, if the package should be sent first class or second. You tell her that, as there is a penalty for late completion of this job, all communications should be carried out in the most efficient way possible and so the package should be sent first class. At this point a senior manager who is also in the office, and has overheard the conversation, pipes up. He reminds you that the firm is currently in the middle of an economy drive and that the package should be sent second class.

This is a delicate situation. You have been overruled by a senior colleague who is making what you believe to be an ill-judged decision and while your middle management status allows you to direct the worker as to posting the package, you hold no such power over your senior. If this package is sent second class and the delay in delivery causes a hold up in the job, then the responsibility for it may well beat a path back to the door of your office.

So what do you do?

You manage upwards. That is to say you use various skills to go against a decision made by a senior colleague without incurring his wrath. You put your head into the lion's mouth, as it were, and bring it out unscathed.

Managing upwards requires just the right balance that is not too pushy but not too timid either. The following points to avoid may help you get an idea of how to strike that balance.

Do not visualise your senior colleague as an opponent. Always remember that you are both playing for the same side and the success of that side is the common goal. Get to know your manager; find out what motivates him (or her) and any likes and dislikes.

Do not exaggerate your needs in the hope that this will stand a greater chance of success. If you try to win favour by saying that the sky will be blue if you get what you want, or that it will fall in if you don't, you may be found out and all subsequent requests will be subject to more in-depth scrutiny. The best policy is to tell it like it is.

Do not sweep problems under the rug. If you have to tell your manager something negative, that a project has fallen behind schedule for example, then do it straight away. Yes you will be chewed out for it, but running projects to schedule is a part of your job and sometimes things just don't go according to plan. The thing to remember is that the longer you put off coming clean, the more severe the censure will be when you are forced to hold up your hands. And if a project does fall behind schedule, don't be tempted to keep it under wraps in the hope that you can get it back on track without anyone being wise to your plan. You may fall even further behind and have to approach your manager with some news he really doesn't want to hear.

Do not fawn and grovel in order to stay in the good books, as this is like waving a flag that says weakling. Agreeing with everything your manager says will only project you as a yes man who lacks assertion, and when promotions come around guess who will be left on the shelf? Remember that managing upwards is what good middle managers do and some disagreement with seniors is bound to occur.

But do not be intimidated either. You have worked hard to achieve the status of middle manager and you do not want to jeopardise your position by coming across as a shrinking violet. Saying no to the boss can actually be a positive move, providing you can back up your reason for disagreeing with reasoned argument. This will project you as a good manager who is prepared to stand up for what he believes to be right, and this is no more than is expected of you.

So brush up on your upward management skills and give yourself every chance of being noticed for the good middle manager you are. Alternatively, ignore the advice above and have your name permanently affixed at the bottom of the managerial league ladder.