Communication is at the heart of any manager-employee relationship. Having a positive relationship with a manager can determine how happy and successful staff are whilst also boosting productivity levels, influencing personal development and creating clear communication amongst the whole team.
What is managing up?
Managing up refers to effectively working with and communicating with your manager to achieve mutual goals and business targets. It’s about understanding their work style, preferences, and priorities to tailor your actions accordingly.
When managing up, you will be working on and improving aspects such as understanding business expectations, improving communication, anticipating needs and future demands, building strong relationships and working on personal development.
The benefits of managing up
No matter what your industry background is, managing up means you are ultimately working on being a better employee, creating value for the business and progressing in your own career. Here are some of the core benefits of managing up and ways they can add value to your business or team.
Productivity
Employees who manage up can communicate how they work best and what they need from their employer, resulting in higher productivity levels and greater output. Modern workplaces are now much more aware that not everyone works in the same way, so employees can use other work styles and strategies to work effectively. They can also work with their manager to distinguish how they work together or how their behaviour differs.
Clear communication
Communication in any workplace is crucial. Binding the relationship between all the different roles, people who are managing up are able to ask clear, precise questions, develop strong listening skills and have a deeper understanding of those they’re working with. They also recognise that people may have different communication styles and use their knowledge to accommodate others and secure better outcomes.
Personal development
Managing up provides both employees and managers with valuable insight into how they can improve professionally. During communication and planning, new opportunities can be discussed which help both the employee personally and the organisation in general whilst also providing a clear path to employee progress. During these discussions, employees also have the opportunity to give their managers feedback which may help to improve aspects such as staff retention, workplace satisfaction and the future of work.
Enhanced collaboration
Every workplace should strive to collaborate with one another, fostering a positive workplace culture, professional development and overall business success. Through clear communication and solid workplace relationships, both employees and managers can work to improve collaboration and utilise teamwork to meet specific goals.
Support and guidance
When communication is improved, this also means that any support can be offered when needed, and both the employee and manager feel comfortable enough to address it. Whether it’s helping with a project, implementing a new office or correcting a mistake, managing up means that support is always available.
Examples of managing up
- Proactively reaching out to your manager when you need help or assistance
- Keeping your manager up to date on projects and deadlines
- Reporting delays or errors
- Scheduling 1-1 meetings
- Supporting your manager with their priorities
- Adapting to business changes and strategies
Dealing with managing up as a leader
If you’re a manager or team leader and are experiencing one or more employees managing up, you might be wondering how to deal with the process and how to adapt to your new relationship.
To begin with, you will want to acknowledge and appreciate their proactive approach and take their commitment into consideration. You should take this time to let them know you value their feedback and offer suggestions to prove honesty and transparency.
You will also want to take this time to clarify your expectations and objectives, working with your employees to discuss how the future looks and see where your ideas align.
