Don?t Get Down ? Manage Up! -

Home
>
Business Management
>
Don?t Get Down ? Manage Up!

Don?t Get Down ? Manage Up!

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley

Ever have one of those supervisors that just didn't quite get it?

Perhaps you even wondered from time to time how in the world this person ever became a manager in the first place?

The truth is that most of us, at some point in our career, will experience this firsthand. No doubt, it's a tough situation to be in when you work for someone whose leadership skills are less than desired.

So what can you do?

First of all, remember that a majority of leaders in any organization do not hold the #1 position in the company. Don't let one unreasonable manager ruin your opinion of the entire organization.

Understand that within any reporting structure/hierarchy, there will typically be challenges in even the best reporting relationships. Clearly realize that your particular situation may not be that unique. Chances are, the grass will be no greener elsewhere.

Keep in mind that your supervisor may be well aware of his weaknesses and has hired you to help him compensate.

One trait common among great leaders is their ability to surround themselves with team members that compliment their strengths and/or compensate for their weaknesses. So there's still hope!

Keeping the above in mind, let's take a look at some way you can effectively "Manage UP"!

- Accept your supervisor as he/she is, and commit yourself to helping him be successful. In the long run, everyone wins with this strategy.

- Realize that you are in control of your actions and you can work to improve your business environment.

- Focus on ways you can help your manager provide the resources you need to do your job well.

For example: If you feel you need more feedback from your manager, yet he does not provide regular one-on-one coaching sessions ? simply take the initiative to schedule "briefings" with your manager. Ask specific questions that will generate the feedback that you seek.

Taking initiative in a safe and non-threatening way, for the dual purpose of getting what you need and identifying how you can make your supervisor's workload lighter ? will certainly serve you well.

Specifically ask your supervisor what she needs to make her job easier, and the team more successful. OR, if you have your own ideas ? offer those ideas for consideration.

In short, do your best to be supportive and helpful, yet be prepared to be patient in the event that your strategy is not accepted as quickly as you would like. You can't control what anyone else does, but you can always control what you do.

In the event that your supervisor is just one of those "evil-beings" ? have faith that what goes around, comes around. It's just a matter of time until circumstances will change for the better.

Be successful in spite of an unreasonable manager.

Above all else, stay on the "high road" ? as it will always serve you well.

"Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts." - George F. Tiltonood

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today's aspiring leaders. Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/1201/usa.htmlcid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNH-oiuSScRDNYy24HZO_LvczOhh3Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=WpyTjZDqjJkJimgurl=dynimg.rte.ie/000139f210dr.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2RTE.ie/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/global-manufacturing-gauges-collapse-november/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B89D71098-0129-432D-875A-1EECDDE62475%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNHd2MCNRRy73b1e6AGItuTCpTkwfwECONOMIC REPORT Global manufacturing gauges collapse in November/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b of price pressures hit an all-time low, according to a survey of corporate purchasing managers released Monday by the Institute for Supply bManagement/b. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/01/news/economy/ISM_November/%3Fpostversion%3D2008120110cid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNH7q5VG-YoP1K1uQe3eoZaco_WoFgManufacturing index at 26-year low/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCNNMoney.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2008/12/01/daily9.htmlcid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNEsZU59KS__fYIKLJiMb1f5m5I3XgManufacturing hits 26-year low/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBizjournals.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/12/02/manufacture.htmlcid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNEPImI1RN8msSqqFmkeqQtc83XgjwManufacturing index drops to 26-year low/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAtlanta Journal Constitution/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/12/01/manufacturing-retail-consumer-markets-econ-cx_cg_1201markets18.htmlcid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNH3lPXk5BymCGXpfcW2mu2dmwoQJQnobrForbes/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/manufacturing-falling-fastest-pace-27/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B01759E58-3EB4-4E5E-A1A1-2BC26F9A8A8D%257Dcid=1276422140ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNGvdjKhyd98glAW_0YMtyIQzEOg1wnobrMarketWatch/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276422140hl=ennobrall 634 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2008/12/1/october_construction_spending_dips_12.htmcid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNGq6fqSUYkYuCwOBngz7tGRk1DMtgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=0NnMKujodXQJimgurl=www.hispanicbusiness.com/_client_common/images/news/construction_lg.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2HispanicBusiness.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/business/economy/02econ.html%3Fhpcid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNHhwtWcHnEQnA8MSH-Y8Rtw0vm9owConstruction Spending Reflects Economic Slowdown/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Institute for Supply bManagement/b’s monthly index of manufacturing activity fell to 36.2, from October’s 38.9. The reading is worse than Wall Street b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/01/america/Economy.phpcid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNHN0Mxeg6CPp_VWgovOi-yRO-O0kAOctober construction spending drops 1.2 percent/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrInternational Herald Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/12/01/daily2.htmlcid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNHwAJFceX5W3MgQ0xBLz90aKRrOFQConstruction spending fell again in October/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBizjournals.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.globest.com/news/1297_1297/washington/175494-1.htmlcid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNEM2pH_3oCcSF8EqZu7Huu-OiwW5gConstruction Spending Drops 1.2%/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrGlobeSt. com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.123jump.com/story/Construction%2BSpending/30422/reportscid=1276553836ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNFTqkOYuRZqdSue2zf9mu35FjIVSAnobr123Jump.com/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276553836hl=ennobrall 273 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.counton2.com/cbd/news/local/article/12_days_of_christmas_cost_more_this_year/17522/cid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNG0w59BqS02ajb8jax9zgqe5X1yawimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=DlT0u3j0HcUJimgurl=media.counton2.com/wcbd/img-story/images/uploads/holiday_sales.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2WCBD/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/price-tags-on-partridges-and-pear-trees-a-different-cpi/cid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNFvbRS1B2km1uWRxXKULePV0UK9YAPrice Tags on Partridges and Pear Trees: A Different CPI/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Catherine Rampell For the last 24 years, PNC Wealth bManagement/b (or its predecessor, Provident Bank) has released this whimsical index, a measure of the b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D_PPfujQH9BIcid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNFERYZ084Gv9yL75k3ZQckP6U1hWgVideo: 12 Days of Christmas#39; Items Would Cost $86,609/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAssociatedPress/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/_PPfujQH9BI/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/_PPfujQH9BItype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/2008/12/01/costly-classical-christmas/cid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNFYch7EvV5XeA3CIguOh6FaBTS_OACostly Classical Christmas/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://sev.prnewswire.com/banking-financial-services/20081201/NY4898601122008-1.htmlcid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNFKX6wLHRHFmiPOyxlTUwbKHxVMPAVideo: True Loves to Face Most Expensive Christmas Ever as PNC b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrPR Newswire (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1683934.htmcid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNEyFejWYOFSpZjfkvRjDKgzu624QwnobrPR Web (press release)/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.khou.com/business/stories/khou081201_tnt_12-days-of-christmas.1df42767.htmlcid=1276433807ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNGyd-9t5FFZkCbP8RORNaLx2E2tKAnobrKHOU/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276433807hl=ennobrall 360 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/AGC-LCM-Declare-Dividends/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B641366A4-F68C-4D7E-8870-F3ADCB0D1839%257Dcid=1276595346ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNGF1dFtS8hKer2_QDpA_gDT5jA-AAAGC and LCM Declare Dividends/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1a diversified closed-end bmanagement/b investment company, has declared its December monthly dividend of $0.0664 per share, reflecting a reduction of $0.0286 b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Madison-Strategic-Sector-Premium-Fund/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BC33E7986-8414-4885-A820-D3C6B4AEB310%257Dcid=1276595346ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNG9NppAdBaSqUOPbpPiSwHFeRS2TgMadison Strategic Sector Premium Fund (MSP) Declares Quarterly b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/PPR-0340-November-Dividend/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B3C32D15F-9E55-4B98-AA4A-987CFA7EF69A%257Dcid=1276595346ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNEB1BNyKAv41yj8SgjBhxIMUApdkAPPR - $.0340 November Dividend/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/WIW-Declares-Monthly-Dividend/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B817D8E56-4EF0-411B-A366-BFA950A03F90%257Dcid=1276595346ei=UtQ0ScunDaKO6APuhoHoBwusg=AFQjCNGrmn2h1qwDjP5l72OfK7c5ZOu5HQWIW Declares Monthly Dividend/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276595346hl=ennobrall 58 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

management - Google News

Don?t Get Down ? Manage Up!

Business Management