I once worked with a leader who struggled to effectively manage up and build strong relationships with their superiors. The leader was highly competent but found it challenging to align their work priorities with the expectations of their executive team, often missing key opportunities for strategic collaboration. To help, I employed a few key strategies: - Regular Communication: I encouraged them to schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their superiors to ensure clear and open lines of communication. These meetings focused not just on reporting progress but on discussing priorities, challenges, and aligning on key goals. I emphasized the importance of listening actively and being transparent about roadblocks, as this helped build trust. - Understanding Priorities: We worked on developing a deeper understanding of the broader goals and priorities of the leadership team. I suggested that they proactively ask for feedback on what the leadership cared about most and where they could make the biggest impact. This helped them focus on delivering high-value results that aligned with the company's strategic vision. - Managing Expectations: I helped the leader set clear expectations with their superiors around timelines, resource needs, and outcomes. I coached them on how to communicate potential risks or delays early, framing them as opportunities for collaboration rather than problems to avoid. - Visibility and Advocacy: I encouraged the leader to take ownership of key initiatives and share progress with the leadership team in a way that highlighted their contributions. This increased their visibility and demonstrated their proactive approach to problem-solving, fostering goodwill and stronger relationships. Over time, the leader became much more confident in managing up. They received more recognition and support from their superiors, and their ability to influence key decisions within the organization grew significantly. The relationship improved because of increased trust, transparency, and alignment between the leader and their superiors.
I often recall a situation in which I was assisting a department head who was struggling to align with senior leadership. The leaders were great at their jobs, but they didn't know how to talk to their bosses well. I told them to focus on three main strategies: relating changes to the organization's goals, predicting senior concerns ahead of time, and showing problems along with answers. For example, during a significant project, we didn't write extended operations reports but short updates focused on key data and insights that could be used immediately. This change quickly made executives more involved. By encouraging an attitude of partnership instead of order, the leader built better relationships with those above them, which earned them more trust and support. It showed how important it is to respect and talk to each other in a way that fits their needs.