Managing Upwards: It Takes Two

Encouraging flexibility in management styles is a great way for you to have more control and input over your everyday office life and career.

Your boss is likely to have great sway over your role and the tasks that you tackle every day. The majority of workforces devote the greatest chunks of their waking lives at their places of employment. Whether you spend much time in the company of your superior or not, the impact they have on your daily life can be huge, potentially making your working relationship one of the most important for you to develop.

Hierarchical systems are based on lines of managers organising employees and their roles in a top-down approach. But nearly every employee has encountered issues in this kind of management style. There are many reasons why may feel 'put upon' in regard to your immediate superior, perhaps you don't believe he/she is pulling their weight, or they have failed to resolve issues you're facing time and time again.

As with all relationships there is a way forward after/before conflict is experienced and 'managing upward' is the term given to proactive steps you take to build stronger links with your boss. This is a departure from traditional hierarchical systems where employees did their best to weather storms of this nature and further tips on managing upwards are available via specialised training sessions.

Start at the top

Managing upward is not really about using your skills to push you employer towards doing what you want him or her to do. Instead, it concentrates more on building your relationships and links within a firm, so you can get the best out of yourself and the current management system. A starting place is to consider what you'd like from your employer and work in such a way that this could be possible.

Some of the major stumbling blocks in the workplace are down to communication problems. Your employer may be unhappy with the latest assignment you've completed because it does not include all the objectives, but if these were unclear in the first place you were always going to be fighting a losing battle.

Managing upward in this sense would involve you and your employer working together to make goals and objectives exceptionally clear. Other areas that you might like more input from your superior include how they'll manage your performance, the support you receive and how benefits/bonuses are structured.

It takes two

It is not only a manager's responsibility to know their staff's strengths and weaknesses in order to help them develop their careers. Managing upwards entails you getting to know your employer and the tasks they excel in, as well as those that they do not. If you notice they struggle with certain aspects of their role or need more support, say with computer programming for example, then be available to assist them and help further their knowledge. This kind of approach can strengthen you're line manager's skills and is likely to have positive knock-on effects further down the line.

Encourage upwards movement

In addition to looking at all the ways that you can manage upwards, it might be useful to encourage your employees to take the same approach with you. Encouraging them to support each other and provide assistance at difficult times - rather than undermining you - can help you, in the same way that you are assisting your immediate line manager.