August 22, 2013

Managing Up

Tim Dewey

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Things To Consider: Managing Up, and Up, and Up, and…

• How many jobs have you had in the last 5 years? 10 years?

• How many managers can you expect to have over your career?

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Things To Consider: Job Compression

• It’s real and not going away… Until the Millenials take over

• How to deal with it and succeed

• How overcoming the obstacles will lead to success

• Your manager is also overworked!

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What percentage of the knowledge you need to do your job is stored in your mind?*

0.750000000000011

0.2

1986 1996 2006

0.1

*Robert Kelley, Carnegie-Mellon University 20 Year Longitudinal Study of Knowledge Workers

“It is usually a better strategy not to learn… – and simply search and find the correct information when you need it. - Charles Jennings, CLO Reuters

Things to Consider: Knowledge Transformation

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What Is Your definition Of Managing Up?• Sucking up?• Playing politics?• Being the yes man or woman?• Letting them get the credit for your

work?• Being smarter than them, but not

showing it?• Laughing at their terrible jokes?• Doing what they ask, even if it is

counter productive?

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It Starts with the “Politics of the Game”• Every company has politics

• Can you be political?

• Do you want to be political?

• How do you obtain political skills?

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What Your Manager Doesn’t Have Time For• Mentoring… Find an external

mentor!

• Empathizing… They care only so much!

• Doing your work… You should be doing their work!

• Coaching/Discipline… They hate HR, so should you!

• Reviews… What do they get out of it?

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What Managers Do Have Time For

• Success stories… Something they can manage up with!

• Execution of their initiatives… Even if they are destined to fail!

• Something off their plate… Saying “I got it” is a managers favorite phrase!

• Seeing you succeed and get recognized for it… Yes, they do want you to succeed!

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Raises: Why you really did not get a raise?• You really don’t know how much your worth… Get over yourself!

• You only do the “minimum”… In the eyes of your manager!

• You don’t draw attention to your success… Who cares!

• Your not staying current… Update your resume to prove it!

• Not a problem solver, but love to complain… You are part of the problem, not the solution!

• Not paying attention to typos… Hint, turn on spell check!

• You confused personal with professional… Don’t care!

• You are a woman… Yes, you are being discriminated against!

• You want it, but don’t ask for it… Don’t expect it!

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In the End: Show Me the Money!

• What data are you providing?

• What ROI are you providing?

• What revenue are driving?

• How much are you saving?

• Are you under budget?

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What’s In It For Me (WIIFM)?

• Promotion?

• Money?

• Career Path?

• Company Success?

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Q & A