Act Like a Celebrity Handler when You Manage Up
Managers need to be managed. I’ll be the first to admit that I needed to be managed by my direct reports. I used to get so busy with meetings, working on my own deliverables, or waiting and coordinating with others, that I forgot to follow up with my employees on what they needed from me.
Not only do managers need to become better managers, we also frequently need to be managed better by our employees. I’m always open to new ideas, anything to make me more effective and a better manager and leader, if it makes sense. But, as I was working my own way up the ladder, I also tried to help my bosses be better managers. Arlene S. Hirsch’ article “Tips for Training Your Boss To Be a Better Manager” provided a great summary on how to train your boss to be better; it’s no longer available online, but here are the key points she made:
- Learn how to deliver news: From my perspective, if bad news isn’t framed the right way, in the right context, and with the right tone and urgency, then direct reports can over-dramatize or minimize the news by accident.
- Learn your boss’s likes and dislikes: I’ve always made it a point to understand how my bosses work, what they like and don’t like. It’s up to the direct report to adjust to the boss, not the other way around.
- Don’t expect your boss to take responsibility for your relationship: Managers are busy. They’re busy doing their jobs just as you’re busy doing yours. They believe in accountability, but won’t necessarily take responsibility for your relationship. Unfortunately, this rests with you. It doesn’t make sense, but it just happens. As managers, we’re too busy in our world and at times must have direct reports take responsibility of the relationship. If you’re having problems, be proactive and speak up. Managers aren’t mind readers. If you’re disappointed in the relationship, how have both of you contributed to create the situation?
- Help your manager to be successful: Always help your manager be successful. It makes them look good and it makes you look good, especially if you have a manager that believes in giving credit where credit is due. You don’t want a weak boss. That just makes you’re work life harder.
- Don’t rush things: Don’t give trust freely to anyone, especially your boss. They have to earn it and your loyalty. I’ve had bosses who didn’t deserve my trust. I gave it, thinking they had earned it and I was still disappointed and even betrayed. Be careful. Bosses are all too human and have their weaknesses that can hurt you.
Act like a Celebrity Handler
The list above isn’t all inclusive - you may have other ways to manage up. One of my favorites that isn’t on Hirsch’s list is, “Be like a celebrity handler.”
Handlers ensure that the celebrity gets from point A to point B. They have the talking points prepared for the celebrity to deliver on camera or in an interview. Acting like a handler makes your boss more efficient and effective. For example, one of my former CEOs had such a tight schedule that I did the following to prepare him for meetings that involved my department:
- 10 minutes prior to meeting, go into his office to remind him of the meeting
- prep him with a brief summary of important points of the meeting
- hand him the report or paperwork to be used in the meeting
- brief him on the report
- remind him of the desired outcomes from the meeting
- observe if he wanted me to enter meeting with him or have us enter separately
- during meeting, watch his cues, then act accordingly to support or take initiative on a topic
As you can see, I put a lot of effort into practicing the art of managing up. Making my boss look good made me look good. It created and cemented trust between us, since I had my boss’s best interest at heart.
It also prepared me for a career as celebrity handler, if I ever want to chuck it all and work in Hollywood.
