Managing up.

Although the title of my blog is 'Leaders that Inspire', it comes as no surprise that virtually all leaders spend a great deal of their time managing rather than leading.  Typically we think of managing our direct reports.  But of equal importance is managing the individual to whom we report, that is, managing up.

Let's be quite clear that managing up does not mean manipulating your boss.  Rather, it is communicating in a fashion that elicits her/his support for the initiatives that you have as a leader.  This exercise is critical if you are going to maximize your potential.  Therefore I submit the following suggestions to get the most out of your efforts.

1. Develop a strong track record of success; one that is independent of issues that have required prior approval from your boss. Put more succinctly, '...walk the walk before you talk the talk...'  Meeting or exceeding budget; accurately forecasting results; completing specific assignments in a timely manner; all these successes demonstrate that your are competent, dependable, reliable and trustworthy.  Thus, when you are managing up, you can expect that there will already be an implied level of comfort with your recommendations that will be reflected in the approval of the request that you are putting forward.
2. Make it easy for your boss to make a favourable decision.  Be thorough, but concise, in laying out your request and the reasons behind it.  Anticipate questions and have the answers already embodied in your presentation.  The more that you can demonstrate that you have considered all the pro's and con's, the more the decision comes down to a simple 'yes' or 'no'.  A comprehensive presentation usually wins the day.
3. Know when to stop.  A great line from the movie 'Jerry Maguire' stated '...you had me at hello...'  Too often you talk yourself right out of an approval simply because you failed to listen; you were too intent on making your case.  Once the boss gives their approval, everything that you continue to offer is vainglorious.  Shut up and leave.  You got what you came for!
4. The best surprise is no surprise.  Provide your boss regular updates, even if they are not specifically requested.  This is even more important if you are not achieving the results that you proposed.  Failures happen but the last thing that a boss wants is to be blindsided so at the first evidence of problems, engage them in the  process.  Remember that they often have as much invested in the situation as you do so they are anxious to work towards your success or to prepare to catch you as you fall.
5. Under promise; over deliver.  Any time you are promoting a new initiative it is better to stretch but not to over-reach.  You want to be known as one whose word is reliable.  Over-reaching, but achieving only part of the time, produces too much drama.  Your boss in generally a lot more comfortable coping with success rather than explaining failures.  Your job is to make them look good so make your proposals achievable.

Think about the things that you wish your team would do in their communication with you and you can easily add to this list.  In the long run you make your job easier and you enhance your position in the eyes of decision makers.

Learn to Manage up . It becomes an important step in your career ladder.



 

Leadership that Inspires

Rather than blog this time I am offering confidential copies of my Leadership whitepaper.  Normal cost is $20 but it is provided free during the holiday period as my present to you.

Simply contact me directly at jbbrown@bell.net

Here is the index:

Index

Introduction                                                                                                    Page 3

Chapter 1                    The Leadership Equation                                          Page 10
Chapter 2                    Accountability Counts                                                Page 14
Chapter 3                   Sometimes the Caddy is Right                                    Page 18
Chapter 4                    An Enlightened Perspective on Failure                    Page 20
Chapter 5            You only Get Out what you are Willing to Put In           Page 22
Chapter 6          It is Easier to Read the Book once it has been Opened        Page 25
Chapter 7                     The Plumb Line                                                          Page 28
Chapter 8                    Are You the Chicken or the Pig?                              Page 30
Chapter 9                    What Colour are Your Glasses?                                Page 32
Chapter 10                    Is this Your Time.                                                       Page 34
Summary

Cheers

Jim

Do you fear the "Big C"

Many years ago my boss, a SVP, asked me to have lunch to discuss my annual performance review.  He also suggested that I bring along a self evaluation for comparative purposes.  When we sat down he asked for my paper and after a short read he declared '...ya', I guess that about covers it...what do you want to eat...'

In a later role, on my first day on the job, my VP called me to his office and after closing the door he peered out his window and pointed at one of my new associates.  "He's no good" my boss declared.  "You must fire him"

Still later I inherited a group that was highly dysfunctional.  One employee with over 25 years service did not seem to do much and when I asked, no one really knew what he did.  Upon further investigation, I determined that no one really knew what he had done for some time.  But no one questioned his role in the company because of his seniority.  Hell, after that long with the company, surely he must be irreplaceable. 

I suspect that you have similar stories as well.  All are great examples of 'leaders' who are afraid of the BIG C...confrontation.  The situation is one that requires the leader to make a personal investment that makes them uncomfortable and so they simply ignore it and hope that it goes away.

SPOILER ALERT; IT DOESN'T!

Why is it that otherwise competent individuals so often shirk this important responsibility?  And what are the consequences to their actions? I can think of several responses to both questions.

As to why these people fail to act, I submit the following:

1. They are hiding personal shortcomings that they don't want to have exposed and so failing to address a difficult decision allows them to subconsciously keep their own issue from coming to light.
2. They have never been trained on how to professionally confront another person in the workplace.
3. They fail to recognize the impact of their lack of action.

And as to the consequences, consider:

1. Allowing a substandard performance to continue essentially means that you have lowered the level of acceptable performance for everyone.  You cannot hold others accountable to a higher level of expectation until you yourself have done so.
2. You deny the individual in question the opportunity - and the need - to improve.  In many instances, the potential exists to deliver more but it has not been drawn out because of the ineffectiveness of the leader.  So by making that commitment to address an issue the leader positively impacts the individual, the company and themselves...a 3:1 return.
3. The lower level of expectation can be communicated outside the company to both suppliers and to clients.  This often gives them pause to consider the value of the relationship, particularly when their companies are high performance workplaces.  Consider it guilt by association.  Most enterprises want to be gauged by the company that they keep and they willingly allow those firms with obvious shortcomings to become someone else`s problem.

(Send along your thoughts as well.)

If you self identify with some of these examples, stop looking at the issue as one of  `C`for confrontation.  Rather, change the meaning `C` for constructive criticism.  See the situation for what it is, an opportunity for improvement and not as an obstacle to be avoided. 

Everyone - not the least, yourself -  benefits from your willingness to see the difference!



 

Maximize ≠ Maximum

In my last blog I stated that the best effort that you can expect from any employee is 100% and that any comment suggesting that there is more to give is a sign that the leader is failing to properly inspire that person to achieve their best.

I want to clarify though that there is a real and tangible difference between maximizing potential and the maximum potential.

Maximum will always be 100%.  But to expect that you can achieve this level on a consistent basis is foolhardy and potentially dangerous. 

Foolhardy, because to base expectations on achieving maximum potential every day in every circumstance will only lead to disappointment and frustration.

Dangerous, because failure to achieve unrealistic expectations is demoralizing and creates a toxic environment.  A downward spiral is more difficult to correct that it is to maintain an upward move.

As the leader, your role is to maximize potential for each person, every day.  Sometimes that potential will only be 75% - or even less - of maximum.  But if you are able to maximize that potential, you and your employee have done their jobs.

So many factors impact potential.  They range from systems breakdowns to equipment failures to a lack of information needed to perform a function.  Perhaps it is the absence of a co-worker or a personal illness or family issue.  There is a myriad of legitimate factors which individually or collectively mitigate against one's maximum efforts.  A leader who is properly engaged and committed to the employee's welfare will recognize these factors and adjust expectations accordingly. 

No amount of leadership 'inspiration' is going to change these realities. As you mature in your role you will gain the wisdom necessary to quickly evaluate the situation each day and respond accordingly.  What inspires one day will be different from the next.

When you understand that inspiring others to maximize their potential requires that YOU ADAPT , you will have reached a significant milestone in your development and that will be played out by improved performances from your team.

What's in a number?

How often have you heard someone say that they will '...give it 110%...'?  On the surface this sounds like the speaker is really determined to succeed.  And if 110%, why not 150%...200% or more.

From my perspective, these words are code for '...I have not really been trying; you have not had my best...'  or in some instances it might imply '...I think that I am capable of more but I don't know how to reach my potential...'

Either way, a warning flag has been raised that demands your full attention.

Regardless of which implication is true, the simple fact remains that as a leader you have not been doing your job.  If the first response is accurate then you have not connected with this individual on the level necessary to inspire them to be as productive as possible.  It may also be that you have not shown sufficient oversight to recognize the latent potential that exists.

If the latter is true, have you done all those things that are expected from the leader?  Have you properly trained and equipped the person?  Have you provided sufficient guidance?  Have you properly monitored their progress by showing interest and recognizing their contributions?

Your role as leader is to ensure that every member of your team has the same opportunity as everyone else to work at 100% of their abilities.  I recognize that this often means different levels of results as no two people are gifted equally. 

But when you hear that 110% refrain, hit the brakes and look into the mirror.  Something is amiss...100% of the time!

 

Leading leaders; part 2

In my last blog I listed three elements critical to success as you move from leading staff members to leading other leaders.  This blog will add three more for your consideration.

1.  Cultivate a relationship with a trusted mentor.  This person can come from a variety of sources; from a former boss to a professional coach/consultant.  For the relationship to be effective it must consist of the following:

Your mentor must be willing to be honest about your strengths and brutally honest about your weaknesses.  It will serve no purpose to your development if all you receive are platitudes.  While we build on our strengths we grow as we improve our weaknesses.  Without this commitment from both parties, the mentoring is little more than an occasional nice lunch.

Your mentor must have gone before you in terms of experience.  Asking a peer to mentor is the definition of the 'blind leading the blind'.  Don't shy away from approaching someone that you may consider 'out of your league' as you may be surprised at how willing others are to help out someone who genuinely wants to improve.

Finally, your mentor must be willing to make the first call and to hold you accountable.  Many people are more than willing to share an opinion when asked.  Very few will be proactive when it is primarily to someone else's benefit.  You need someone who will care about you.

Thanks to Thom Leiper for reminding me of this critical element.

2.   These two ingredients are common to every successful leader...honesty and integrity.  The leaders on your team will be always be looking to you as the standard bearer.  That is, to what degree are you willing to compromise either characteristic in order to succeed.  Do you have a set of principles which are inviolable?  Or do you function on the basis of situational ethics? 

If it is the former, your leaders will always know how you will respond and what they can expect. Accordingly they can operate with confidence because the ground rules have been set. 

If it is the latter, expect hesitancy, awkwardness, even distrust because they cannot be certain that the rules have not shifted. 

Be consistently honest and operate with integrity.  It always pays dividends.

3.  YOU MUST BE THE 'GLASS HALF FULL' PERSON.

No situation is perfect; you will always encounter difficulties, failure and disappointment.  For many, these obstacles seem insurmountable.  For the inspirational leader they are opportunities.

I am not advocating a "Pollyanna" attitude towards these times.  Indeed, the more realistic you are in your analysis of the problem, the more likely you are to work towards an achievable solution.

Accordingly, it is your responsibility to keep the team focused and engaged.  By always looking at the glass as half full you inspire others to share your view.  It is not always easy, but it is always vitally important.


I am sure that there is a legitimate argument to be made to include other characteristics. But for me, these are the top six.  If you can master them, or at least acknowledge them and work towards mastery, then you have taken the largest steps necessary to lead leaders.  Best of luck.


 

Are you ready to lead leaders

Your first leadership role likely moved you from a group of peers on the shop floor or other sales associates and into the role of leading a small group.  For the most part this was a position in which you supervised or managed a team by using the skill sets and knowledge that made you effective when you were a team member, not their team leader.

Continued success in this new role allowed you to broaden the scope of your responsibilities.  Generally speaking this meant you were able to juggle more balls at the same time as opposed to learning a new trick.  There is nothing wrong with this definition of your abilities because it is more than most people ever accomplish or even want to attempt.

The bigger test comes when you are expected to lead other leaders as this presents an entirely new and different challenge.  Whereas the first role meant directing others who, for the most part, had no aspiration to leadership, the position of leading other leaders requires you to work with a group of alpha personalities, some of whom aspired to the role you now hold.

I want to look at these challenges in the next 2 or 3 blogs as it is critically important that you understand and appropriate some facts of this leadership responsibility.

 1.  It is not unusual to feel somewhat overwhelmed in the initial stages.  This is normal and natural unless you have held similar roles in other employment situations.  But rather than doubt your abilities, keep this touchstone close by; others have the confidence that you can do the job because they appointed you.  Sometimes it is the experience and wisdom of others who recognize latent potential long before we see it in ourselves.  So continue to work in the same manner of confident expectation that characterized your prior position.  It is a source of strength that got you to where you are now and it is something that you should build on rather than distrust.

2.  Trust and respect the competencies of your leadership staff.  While they may have been passed over for the role that you have, the same decision maker who has elevated you also chose the keep them in their positions. There must be good reasons for their success, so identify their strengths and use them to the mutual advantage of the team.  Don't hesitate to ask your leader what they see in these individuals - strengths and weaknesses - as this will shorten the learning curve and help to provide you perspective (up and down...ask me if you don't understand).

3.  In an earlier posting I spoke about the need to create an environment in which failure is an acceptable option as long as the failure is not fatal to the business and provided that the value of that which is learned exceeds the cost of the failure.  However it is important to recognize that the tolerance for failure decreases exponentially as you move up the ladder. The anticipation is that your skills and experience - and those of your leadership team - should produce more well considered decisions that are not experiments to see what happens but rather efforts which confirm expectations.  Accordingly, as the leader of leaders, this truth must be communicated in a much more sophisticated manner but one in which calculated risk taking is still encouraged as that is often what differentiates the best companies from the rest of the pack.

Leadership is not for everyone.  Leading leaders is for fewer still.  But when you do it right, the level of satisfaction makes all the efforts worthwhile.  Next time I will offer more insights to help you plot your route to success.