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Five Myths of Managing Up

by Geoffrey James

Tags: Sales Strategy, Team Management, E-mail, Telecommuting, Sales Force Management, Sales, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Geoffrey James, management, team, business skills, CEO, Instant messaging, ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS, INTERNET, boss, myth, BNET Feature

Like just about everything else in the workplace, the conventional wisdom about how to manage the boss has evolved considerably in recent years. If you hope to climb the career ladder by impressing your boss, these are the new and revised rules of the road.

Myth #1: Always be in the office before your boss arrives.

Conventional wisdom:
If you're even five minutes late, the boss will think you're a slacker.
Why it's a myth:
In an age of flex time, telecommuting, Blackberries, and instant messages, bosses care more about whether you're getting the job done than whether you're warming your seat.
Try this instead:
Make sure the boss knows you're putting in extra hours at home or on the road, both by maintaining a rapid-response email or instant message presence, and by hinting at when you're putting in those extra hours.
Example:
"I had to work over the weekend on this report, but I think you'll agree the extra effort was worth it."

Myth #2: Ask for permission before bringing up difficult issues.

Conventional wisdom:
You want your boss to be in a good mood when you deliver bad news.
Why it's a myth:
Thanks to email and cell phones, word travels faster than ever. If you don't tell your boss the bad news, somebody else will, and then you'll look evasive or stupid—or both.
Try this instead:
Deliver bad news in the context of what you're doing to fix the situation or make it better.
Example:
"The Acme sale fell through, so we're launching a quick sales campaign with the other customers to make up the revenue loss."

Myth #3: Suggest ways to make the boss more popular with the team.

Conventional wisdom:
The boss will appreciate your efforts to improve morale and teamwork.
Why it's a myth:
If your boss is unpopular, there's very little you can do to change that perception.
Try this instead:
When boss-bashing takes place beyond his earshot, don't join the fray. Instead, give the boss credit for things he does well. When the department spy (there always is one) reports back to the boss, he'll learn that you're an ally.
Example:
"Yeah, Joe loses his temper sometimes. But he's really good at defending our interests in front of the budget committee."

Myth #4: Protect your boss from your underlings, and vice versa.

Conventional wisdom:
If your boss talks directly to your team members, information could be revealed that you'd rather keep under wraps.
Why it's a myth:
Attempting to control the flow of information inside today's wired-up corporations is utterly pointless.
Try this instead:
Cue your underlings to reinforce the message you're giving the boss.
Example:
"When the big boss asks what you're doing, be sure to point out how well you're supporting our group's quarterly sales goal. She likes that kind of thing."

Myth #5: Never say anything to the boss when you're angry.

Conventional wisdom:
If you're hot under the collar, you're likely to say things you'll later regret.
Why it's a myth:
Your emotions aren't the problem; the issue is how you express them.
Try this instead:
Don't lose your cool. When you're frustrated or angry, say so—but without blowing up or exploding. Avoid whiny complaining. Instead, focus on fixing the things you want to change, and ask for the boss's help in changing them.
Example:
"Okay, I understand we need to get the report done. But let's come up with a plan that doesn't involve everyone working over the holiday."
 
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  • 1

    bdavis14123

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    Great Article!

    I really thought this was good advise. Thanks BNET!

    •  
  • 2

    celiaten@...

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    Excellent!

    Really spot on.

    •  
  • 3

    rajs_2001

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    excellenet and very practical

    excellenet and very practical

    •  
  • 4

    keeny76@...

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    kudos ...

    Impressive, Consolidated, Comprehensive & Practical. Very nicely written and explained.

    •  
  • 5

    abeganovic

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    you stole

    the words out of my fingers. grin

    •  
  • 6

    stanleymhapa@...

    03/08/07 | Report as spam

    5 myths are excellent and practible

    very correct hope to put them into practice, keep on doing better,always we talk about human resource management focusing downward but i consider managing up its an extreme case,
    CONGRATS FOR GOOD IDEAS

    •  
  • 7

    arden_grant@...

    03/09/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths for Managing up

    Excellent tips.

    •  
  • 8

    mrwojo

    03/12/07 | Report as spam

    Nice article

    Most if the aricle is common sense. Of course, these facts are the things I usually forget. It's nice to be reminded that these issues are simplier than you "over think".

    •  
  • 9

    aanic

    04/08/07 | Report as spam

    woah!

    to the writers @ bnet.

    All your articles are mind blowing & awsome. As said in above posts, its all about common sense & small tricks which are blur to the majority of us. Your work on this site (especially the content & the design) is worth an applause and much of appreciation. Good job done here & worth a referal. Keep the good work up & cheers.

    •  
  • 10

    gene@...

    04/09/07 | Report as spam

    Real World Solutions

    That about sizes up your wisely practical approach to intra office relationships between management and subordinates. Your approach is well thought out, simple and very practical.

    •  
  • 11

    oiko

    04/18/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths of Managing Up

    Very pratical and respectful approach.

    •  
  • 12

    renukapeters

    04/23/07 | Report as spam

    Very Practical & True

    Fantastic! I have made a PPT for my Management Students.

    •  
  • 13

    a_ricemack@...

    05/15/07 | Report as spam

    Managing Up

    Excellent article! I really appreciated the part about underlings. I have had them communicate the WRONG thing to the boss and that takes a lot of undoing!

    •  
  • 14

    varadi

    07/12/07 | Report as spam

    ir's really help us

    Nice article. Thankx

    •  
  • 15

    dddsouza@...

    07/17/07 | Report as spam

    5 Myths of managing up

    Good advise - very useful article.
    DdeS

    •  
  • 16

    sokamara@...

    07/17/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths of Managing Up

    Wonderful stuff.

    Sorie

    •  
  • 17

    iceblink

    07/17/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths of Managing Up

    What a great article. It provided some ideas of how to manage up. Just what I needed. Thanks BNET

    •  
  • 18

    saab_4@...

    07/17/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths of Managing Up

    EXCELLENT

    •  
  • 19

    katpan000777

    07/30/07 | Report as spam

    EXCELLENT

    I really appreciate the excellent 5 myth of managing up!

    •  
  • 20

    niiashong

    07/31/07 | Report as spam

    Five Myths of Managing Up

    An excellent and timely article for those on their way up. Every Boss could do with a little bit of ego stroking though.

    •  
  • 21

    aiou687

    08/16/07 | Report as spam

    FIVE MYTH

    ITS REALLY A WONDERFUL AND FULL OF KNOWLEDGE ARTICLE

    •  
  • 22

    azhaddad@...

    09/14/07 | Report as spam

    Sixth myth: You can take everything he throws at you

    Conventional wisdom:
    Your experience and office politics know-how will help you dodge any situation.

    Why it's a myth:
    IT's not you. did you notice that it takes two to communicate ?
    there should be a 'pong' in response to your 'ping'.

    Try this instead:
    if anything else fails, Get yourself a different job. to let yourself be eaten by bureaucracy lions won't get you into 'Office paradiso'.

    •  
  • 23

    idej

    02/13/08 | Report as spam

    RE: Five Myths of Managing Up

    Useful

    •  
  • 24

    nathalie_gregg1@...

    02/13/08 | Report as spam

    RE: Five Myths of Managing Up

    This was very helpful!
    We all need to be reminded of the do's and don'ts of managing up.

    •  
  • 25

    Soulseeking

    06/24/08 | Report as spam

    5 myths dispelled--training your boss

    Mr. James,

    A good piece! I'm currently working in a small, intimate office, where I'm second in command to an up-and-coming Y-Gen boss with only two other staff. I've quickly learned that honest communication beats all other "cards" in the deck, like owning up to mistakes with my ideas for solutions, and expressing frustration with "I" language rather than "you" blaming. Also, when co-workers see you won't join willy-nilly on the boss-bashing wagon, you will develop the discovery that you are a loyal person, and co-workers aren't immune to "managing sidewards."

    Ann Shea

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