Managing Expectations: How to Manage Up
Some people say that the key to happiness is low expectations, but when it comes to the expectations of others, setting low expectations can lead to bad results. In this three-part series, we’ll explore how best to meet and manage the expectations of our supervisors, our teams or those junior to us, and ourselves.
FIRST, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT MANAGING UP.
There are many resources out there about effectively managing people who report to you. The skill of managing up isn’t talked about quite as much, and yet it’s essential to master this skill in order to maintain a positive working relationship with your boss, supervisor, or manager.
HERE ARE FIVE KEY WAYS TO MANAGE UP SUCCESSFULLY:
Know your boss’s communication preferences and work-style.
Do they prefer in-person meetings, emails, or phone calls? Is texting ever a good idea? How often should you check in with them? Some bosses are of the micro-managing variety: they want to know every detail and nuance of where you are with what they asked you to do. Others are more macro-based, and only want high-level information, expecting you to work autonomously. Understanding these types of preferences will help you know how much, and how often, and in what way your boss wants to hear from you.
Understand your boss’s personality.
Here are some personality traits to consider:
Are they introverted or extroverted?
Are you more likely to need to seek them out, or are they the type to stop by and say hello?
Are they visionaries, or are they detail-oriented?
Are your meetings more likely to be brief and to the point, or should you schedule more time for meetings because they like to engage you in conversation?
Are they a morning person, or should you make sure never to bother them until they’ve had their second cup of coffee?
Once you have a solid understanding of your boss’s preferences and personality, it’s up to you to make sure you are treating them the way they want to be treated, even if it is not how you would prefer to operate.
Bring solutions, not problems.
When you run into a problem (and you will), take a pause to consider some solutions before going to your boss or supervisor. They already have plenty on their plate - it will be notable when you come prepared with at least one suggestion, if not a few options for how to handle problematic situations instead of asking them to figure it out. Don’t allow problems to become unwelcome surprises. If there is something your boss needs to know – even if it’s bad news – keeping it under wraps in the hopes that the problem will go away is rarely a good idea.
Seek to add value.
Similarly, if you can solve not only your own problems but help solve problems your boss is dealing with, you will demonstrate that you are able to think more broadly than your own set of issues. (But be careful that you don’t ignore your own work trying to go too far or insert yourself into situations that are not appropriate for you to do so.)
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Don’t make your boss guess what your needs are. Ask for help when you need it, learn when to negotiate, when expectations don’t match with reality and seek to understand the overall goals of the work you are doing. Make sure that you always maintain your professional manner, even when things get stressful. Don’t leave your boss hanging, either! If you realize you are going to miss a deadline or commitment, discuss this with your boss well before the deadline.
Learning how to manage up takes time and I guarantee you will make a mistake or two (or three). Be humble and ready to learn from your mistakes – this will help you recover more quickly next time.
By developing the crucial skill of managing up, you will be able to better manage the expectations your boss has for you by understanding what they are and how you can best meet them. When in doubt: ask; once you know: act.
