Who said that management is limited to managing employees of lesser rank than the manager?
Employees may play a role in managing their managers as well, just as researchers have attempted to plan principles and arts for managing employees, they also developed arts for 'manager management'.
Managing the manager here or managing up (Managing Up) does not match the management down the career ladder (Managing Down), it is basically a way to build a healthy and positive relationship from the employee with his boss to ensure that he achieves some of his career and professional goals.
The idea may seem easy, but the reality does not say this, especially when the employee faces a bossy manager who is difficult or incompetent or other qualities that we can meet in work environments.
The art of "managing the manager"
To be able to “manage your boss” or maintain an effective and productive relationship with him, it is important to know the “type of manager” or his main qualities in order to be able to deal with them.
You might be dealing with an arrogant boss who thinks he knows everything, a boss who is reluctant to make decisions, or too strict about his decisions, or someone who sends conflicting messages, or a manager who is low on intelligence, or super smart, you may also be dealing with a new manager that you don't know. A lot about him, or a manager you deal with remotely and not directly, or a manager who does not like you for personal reasons or even for no reason, and of course dealing with each person needs different methods.
State your needs and ideas in a concise and clear way (pixels)
But regardless of the type of your manager, there are some basic skills that you must train yourself on in order to gain his approval and gain from him what pleases you as well.
For example, you will need to know how to anticipate your boss' needs, the way they think and support or reject ideas, and how they handle difficult problems and situations.
Of course, there will be times when you disagree with your boss, and that's okay as long as you approach those differences in a respectful and productive way, but other areas where you want to be compatible may take effort.
Even those who consider their managers to be the greatest or have strong friendships with them may be important for them to learn skills to manage dealing with them, and with their bosses as well, because it is not smart to have one lawyer for you in work environments.
You'll need to know how to anticipate your manager's needs and thinking (Getty Images)
It is also important to understand that managing a manager does not mean in any way shirking, “fixing a bad boss,” or manipulating the manager, but it does mean that you will be a more effective employee and put value into your boss and your company as well, as the American business magazine “Harvard Business Review” pointed out. (Harvard Business Review).
So, how do you manage your manager? Dealing with the manager in a positive and effective manner requires some skills that are represented in the following steps:
Take your time to analyze:
As managers take their time to learn about the characteristics of their employees, you may have to do the same and take your time to understand your boss’s personality, his way of managing, achieving goals and dealing with difficulties, as well as knowing his professional background, and the space he leaves between personal and professional, and sometimes even follow-up his successes for use At times it is important to celebrate with him.
Choose the best way to communicate:
Management in general - whether for employees or managers - needs to understand the appropriate method of communication for each person. Some managers like the formal way by e-mail, while others like one-on-one discussion or others like meetings to brainstorm ideas and evaluate work.
Develop your manager: This
may not be in the literal sense of development, but you can do so by supporting him to achieve his goals, for example, your manager may be a department head and he wants to become the vice president of the company, you can support him to achieve this goal, and you benefit on the other side by developing yourself, while improving the relationship Between you and your manager to be supportive of you.
Management in general, whether for employees or managers, needs to understand the appropriate method of communication for each person (Getty Images)
Make him see that you are his right arm:
Can you remain calm and productive under pressure and adapt well to change?
Can you help your manager when he is under pressure and facing change?
It means you have a great way to manage your relationship with him.
If you notice that your manager is dealing with certain pressures, you can offer to help him professionally as well by offering this in the management of a team meeting, or taking on an additional assignment to reduce his workload, try to be the one who takes the lead on a new project or deals with a problem or difficulty Show your ability to be the right hand of your manager.
Be ready with solutions:
When the company or your manager deals with a problem, brainstorm possible solutions, suggest taking responsibility for them to solve it, and work to give them a starting point to build on. This shows them your ability to think carefully and look at the problem from a critical point of view, as the magazine pointed out. Forbes, USA.
Do not go into all the details:
No matter how much your manager helps him in some aspects, he likes to still feel the independence of his decision, and his ability to manage the work and perform in it to a certain extent, so avoid entering into all the details so that you do not seem like you are looking forward to his place or appear as bossy.
No matter how much your manager appreciates you helping him in some areas, he likes to still feel independent of his decision (Pixabe)
Make him feel appreciated, and
preferably in front of his managers, as long as your manager gives an achievement that deserves appreciation, do it and don't hesitate to tell him, he will be happy to feel appreciated, especially in the presence of his bosses at work, but be smart enough not to appear flattery, show that the way you manage Your boss has been fruitful in the joint success of the team effort as well.
Keep your manager informed:
Nobody wants to deal with surprises, and this includes your manager, so try to communicate changes that may have a big impact, proactively share information about your department or business, and also it would be good to show him good reports Well, because that for him is his trump card.
Be clear:
state your needs and ideas in a concise and clear manner, get to the point and explain if necessary, but it is important to avoid drama, especially with managers with limited or strict energy. This is very clear and clever.