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Manage your manager to advance your career
Carroll on Work
By John Carroll
An open letter to everyone who has a boss: These people have an important job to do, perhaps with great responsibility.
You also have a critical function in the company without which they or you will be largely ineffective. That critical function is your ability and willingness to manage your manager.
If you dislike the thought of having to manage your manager, you are not alone. You may be thinking, “I’m here to do my job and go home at the end of the day. What’s all this about my having to manage someone?” That is a valid question.
What exactly do we mean here?
Managing your manager simply means finding out what your manager/supervisor wants from you and making sure that your boss gets it. In fact, that in a nutshell could be your entire job description: be sure that the person to whom you report gets what is wanted and needed from you (within the boundaries of safety, integrity and legal and ethical behavior).
Could this be a formula for happiness at work? If you are delighted to provide what your manager needs from you, it is a terrific recipe for fulfillment and enjoyment of your work.
Your manager, supervisor or boss is accountable to another manager or boss for your productivity. That is why that person was given management level responsibility in the first place.
The person to whom you report may know the work better than anyone else in your area or even in the company. While that knowledge may help your manager be more productive, the level of productivity of the team will be the primary basis upon which your manager is evaluated.
For example, say that a construction supervisor is the most knowledgeable person in the company when it comes to steel framing. As supervisor, that knowledge helps him coach and teach people to create a solid structure.
The real key is how much production this team accomplishes in a day, week or month relative to the schedule and budget of its project. While the knowledge is valuable, it pales in comparison to the true measure of that supervisor’s value to the company.
A checklist for you
If you accept the premise that you can be most effective by managing your manager, here is a baker’s dozen checklist by which you can make sure that you are hitting all the critical points:
_____ I have asked my manager/supervisor what exactly is expected of me and have that response in the form of a written job description or a list of tasks.
_____I make sure that I approach any task with safety and security in mind, using all precautions and equipment as appropriate help to ensure the safety and security of everyone involved.
_____I have a clear understanding of what my manager/supervisor considers unacceptable behavior, and I avoid such behavior.
_____I understand that the best way to communicate urgent issues with my manager/supervisor is (circle one: face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, other ___).
_____I understand that the best way to communicate non-urgent issues with my manager/supervisor is (circle one: face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, other ___).
_____I know of three things I can do on a regular or as-needed basis that make my manager/supervisor’s job easier.
_____I always give feed back to my manager/supervisor about what is asked of me to make sure that I understand it clearly and to improve my chances of getting it done right the first time.
_____I check regularly to see what I can do in addition to my existing job responsibilities to help our overall team production.
_____When I see something that needs done and I know how to do it, I take the initiative and handle it on the spot.
_____I make sure that my work area is clear at the end of each day.
_____I communicate all problems to my manager/supervisor promptly to allow ample time to address the issues.
_____I seek learning opportunities within the company as well as outside to improve my knowledge of the specific work I do and enhance my ability to understand our business and work well with our team.
_____I ask my manager/supervisor at least once a year about my career path and what I can do to grow with the company.
The more of these you can check off honestly, the more valuable you will be to your manager/supervisor, your team and your company.
Do these well and soon you will be managing more than just your manager.
John Carroll is a business consultant, speaker, author and president of Unlimited Performance Inc. in Mount Pleasant. E-mail him at jcarroll@uperform.com.
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