The Life-Changing Magic of Managing Up: Strategy # 1: Respond
The first strategy in the Life-Changing Magic of Managing Up is to respond. That’s right, what I’m proposing is that one of the best things you can do to improve your relationship with your boss (and other leaders) is simply to respond to them. That can look like many things, so let me give you a few examples. When your boss sends you an email, reply to it (preferably quickly). When your boss sends a Slack message (or a Teams message, or an “insert your messaging app of choice” message), acknowledge it. You don’t even need to write words- you can acknowledge a Slack message with an emoji (I personally love the eyes emoji 👀 for this purpose- letting them know you’ve “seen” something). The point is, responding to your boss lets you signal to them that they are important and you’re paying attention. How? Well, keep in mind that there is a lot implied in when and how you respond to a person… Consider the following:
Before you get concerned that I am advocating around-the-clock instantaneous response times, please rest assured that I am not. I think good boundaries make good workers, so I do not advocate for always responding quickly. If it’s the evening or the weekend, or any other time that you’re not typically working, do not even open your work-related messaging apps. However, within the boundaries of your working time, I stand by my recommendations.
PRO TIP: A RESPONSE CAN BE QUICK!
When I talk about responding, I’m talking about sending some sort of acknowledgment that you have at least seen the question that was asked. A simple “Got it” can be sufficient. You might be thinking, “But, what if my boss asks me a question and I don’t know the answer yet?” In that case, a terrific response is, “I see this question, and I need to look into the answer. I will get back to you by <insert your estimated deadline here>.” The benefit of sending a text/email/Slack to that effect is that it is telling your boss that they are important! Remember, the implied messages of your communications reveal that the longer you wait to get back to something, the less important it is to you (side note: this also applies to your friends and your text messages). Conversely, the quicker you respond to something, the more important it is to you. If you respond to your boss in a reasonably quick timeframe, even with “I need to look into this”-type answers, over time, you will say again and again that they are important to you. And over time, that message will sink in. And THAT is where the magic begins. Imagine having a boss who knew that they were important to you, and that they could count on you to do things that matter… How do you think that might impact your performance reviews, or chances of promotion? How might that contribute to your working culture?
Strategy #1 Challenge:
Your challenge this week is to find out! Start being responsive- even with a light touch. See what it feels like to start reaping the benefits of managing up… And, if you are a manager, share this blog post with your team, and see if you can feel the difference of what it’s like having a team that acknowledges and supports you. I would love to hear your progress in the comments! Happy responding!