Manage up: Keep 'em Happy

Heard the saying "If momma aint happy, no one is happy", same is true at work.

Transcript

Welcome back to my podcast, Scaling Out.

So have you heard the saying ‘if momma aint happy, no one is happy?’. If a leader of the house is upset about something, essentially something is going to give. In the workplace is really no different. You can expect that if your manager is not pleased you will learn about it or just feel it in their decisions about you.

My manager is busy, always. He has more fires to fight, more responsibilities to deal with, more decisions to make that can ever be listed anywhere. I’m always impressed by how he juggles everything, but continues to learn new techniques, technologies and skills. My number one job is to make his life easy. 

First, I never want to be the squeaky wheel. Always complaining about things & expecting the boss to just fix stuff doesn’t accomplish the goal ‘make the manager’s life easy’. It only adds to the negativity load. So, if I end up venting about something that I can do nothing about, its only a therapy session for me - helping me alleviate my stress, but wont help him or the business at all. If I switch the narrative however and provide a summary of the issue along with solutions, proposals or requests for leadership decisions, this reduces the burden on him. 

Second, I complete what I say Im going to do. Not following up on your own action items is a recipe for disaster with the boss. If you fail to complete an important item and they feel like they have to micro-manage you. You are not ‘making the manager’s life easy’. Maintaining the trust by getting the work done, when you say you are going to have the work done, is critical to your career success. Figure out the best way for you to keep up with your tasks. Of course, if you are overloaded, its your job then to communicate to the manager your thoughts about the priorities & get their feedback on any required reprioritization.

Third, I handle stuff for them. For instance, volunteer to cover things while they are taking a much needed vacation. Explicitly communicate to your manager when they get called in unexpectedly ‘I got this, you can skip the call/meeting/etc.’. Jump in. This not only achieves the goal ‘making the manager’s life easy’, it also could open up opportunities to increase your own skillset. Making it a win-win!

These are my top three suggestions on how to make your manager’s life easy. But over the next two podcasts I will elaborate on dealing with escalations & how to email your manager effectively. These also will contribute to your manager’s success. And their success helps your success!

Until next time, stay safe everyone!