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 Newsletter August 11, 2009      
Managing Up- How to Influence Your Manager
and Enhance Your Career Development



What happens in your career largely depends on you!

When someone says something like that to us, some of us go on the attack. It suggests that we can’t blame anyone but ourselves for what happens in our life. That means we, and no one else, are responsible for what happens. This can be challenging, even threatening. It really is quite comforting to be able to blame other people, circumstances and life events for why we can’t do things or achieve the results and outcomes we want.

But there are other people who, when they hear those words, say: “Yes, what happens in my career does depend on me and I’m going to make sure it goes where I want it to go!”   These are the people who want to make a difference. They let nothing stand in their way. They surmount all obstacles with energy and enthusiasm. They usually stand out from the crowd.

I want to share this video with you. I’ve watched it dozens of times and each time I am deeply moved. It’s challenging. It’s inspiring in its simplicity. It affirms that anyone and everyone can achieve great things in their job if they really are motivated to do so. They can really make a difference.

Watch it and be inspired as I was.

http://www.stservicemovie.com



Maree Harris PhD         

Career Development is also about “Managing Up.”

An increasingly important part of career development today is learning how to “manage up”. This means developing skills in how to manage your manager because he/she is the person who is going to either facilitate or obstruct your career development.

Every worthwhile leadership or management course today has a component on how to influence – managers, clients, potential clients, industry power brokers.

Part of your career development plan needs to include the skills you need to manage your manager constructively in the future.

Some people react when things don’t go as they want with their career development. They miss out on an interview for the job they really want in the organisation. They didn’t get chosen to go on that leadership course. They are quiet upset when their manager co-opts another team member to help him/her with a special project. They move into a negative space internally becoming quite angry and frustrated with their manager while trying not to let it show externally. Of course, it does. This sort of response is the response of people with low emotional intelligence and little self-awareness.

People with a high degree of self-awareness and high emotional intelligence will do some reflection and take a very pro-active approach. Instead of blaming the manager, they will look at themselves and do some reflection. They will stay in a positive and constructive space and reflect on what it was about them that saw them miss these opportunities. They will ask themselves what they have to do to make sure that next time they do get an interview, do get chosen for the course, do get offered the opportunity to work on the special project.  They will then set about doing what ever they have to do to achieve what they want to achieve for their career development.

The first thing they will do will be to go and talk with their manager and express their disappointment about missing out on those opportunities and make sure their manager is aware of their commitment to progressing in the organisation and their willingness to accept any challenge or opportunity that may enhance their career. 

Before they do that, however, they will do some reflection on the best way to approach their manager. They will try and get inside their manager’s head and walk in his shoes and try and understand where he may be coming from and what he might be wanting. The more they understand about their manager the more likely they will be to “manage” him (effectively relate to him, in other words) in a way that will see him open to be influenced in their favour.  This is “Managing Up.”

What’s important to know about “Managing Up”?

  • learning as much about your manager as possible so you can understand his/her motivations and match them,
  • knowing your manager’s strengths and weaknesses so you can constructively work with them,
  • discovering how to influence your manager to hear your ideas and support you in developing them,
  • knowing your manager’s objectives are so you can meet them,
  • negotiating with your manager positive outcomes for yourself,
  • reading your manager’s moods and dispositions and knowing when to approach and when to step back.

To do this you need

  • to have good communication skills,
  • to be able to act with emotional maturity,
  • to be a good strategic thinker,
  • to be resilient,
  • to be pro-active, rather than reactive,
  • to be positive and constructive,
  • to have the capacity to build trusting relationships,
  • to have self-awareness and know yourself and how you are coming across to others.
Of course, all these skills can be used to benefit your clients as well.

It has to be acknowledged that sometimes you can do everything above and still not be able to work constructively with your manager because while you may have developed the skills to “manage up”, your manager has not developed the skills to “manage down”. It is well recognised that many people leave an organisation when faced with a manager who can’t motivate and inspire them, who, in fact who does the opposite. Research strongly indicates that people join organisations, but leave managers.

P.S. Have you even got a Career Development Plan? No? Then more about that next time.

_______________________________________________________________________

You don't have to leave your desk for this professional development experience.

Book Today!

For More Information and To Register, go to http://www.peopleempowered.com.au/teleseminars

or phone Maree Harris on +61 3 5333 2900. 

Next Teleseminar on August 19th.

Managing Performance - The Importance of Feed-back.

Registration $30.00 +GST

  

Women in Geelong Networking Night

Learn To Stand Out From The Crowd.

Growing Your Career Through Networking

with Maree Harris. PhD.

Wednesday 26th August, 2009 - 6-9 p.m.

This is a night where women can learn to

  • empower themselves, both personally and professionally, to reach their full potential,
  • develop and enhance their profile, reputation and platform, both in their organisations and in their community,
  • network and build connections and relationships that will open up opportunities for them and grow their careers.
Further Information  on the Website.
Bookings online, or download an order form at
http://www.peopleempowered.com.au/workshops-and-presentations

Or Contact Maree Harris on 03 5333 2900 or email at m.harris@peopleempowered.com.au

Copyright © People Empowered-Maree Harris 2009
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