Management is not only about managing subordinates or jobs. Those who want to be successful in business life also need to manage their managers, that is, their superiors. So, what does it mean to manage your manager and how to do it?
What does it mean to manage your manager?
Managing your manager means understanding their needs, expectations, goals and challenges, supporting them, communicating effectively with them, giving them trust, contributing to their decisions, contributing to their development and creating a harmonious working environment with them.
Managing your manager does not mean opposing, criticizing, manipulating, making decisions for him/her, competing with him/her or questioning his/her authority.
What are the benefits of managing your manager?
Managing your manager improves both your and your manager's job performance, motivation, satisfaction and career development. Managing your manager also contributes to the success of your company. Because, managing your manager:
- It enables you to do your job better. When you know your manager's expectations and goals, you can work accordingly, cooperate with him/her and add value.
- It makes your job easier. When you understand your manager's challenges and needs, you can help, empathize and problem solve with him/her.
- It makes your work more enjoyable. When you communicate effectively with your manager, you can develop a relationship based on trust and respect, share a common vision and values, and create a harmonious working environment.
What are the tips for managing your manager?
Managing your manager is a competency that requires a special skill, which is not as easy as I have described. However, there are some tips to develop this competence. Here are some tips you can apply to manage your manager:
- Get to know your manager. Get to know your manager's personality, work style, strengths and weaknesses, interests, values and goals. This will help you to behave appropriately, find commonalities and build a good relationship with him/her.
- Support your manager. Understand your manager's responsibilities, expectations, priorities and challenges. This way, you can help him/her, reassure him/her, give him/her valuable advice and contribute to his/her success.
- Communicate with your manager. Communicate with your manager regularly, openly, honestly, respectfully and constructively. This way, you can exchange ideas with him/her, share feedback with him/her, clarify your expectations and needs with him/her and reach a common understanding with him/her.
- Learn from your manager. Take advantage of your manager's knowledge, experience, competencies and connections. In this way, you can establish a mentoring relationship with him/her, plan for development with him/her, seize new opportunities with him/her and advance your career with him/her.
Managing your manager is an important secret to success in business. If you learn to manage your manager, you can empower both yourself and your manager, and improve both your business and your company. Remember, managing your manager enables you to become a manager too. 😊
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