Managing Up …

This phrase has caught my attention.  I’m not quite sure what to make of “managing up”.  

Having been a manager in my career I’m certainly familiar with the phrase “managing down” LOL!  Hopefully, I was reasonable in my approach but I know I was focused on getting my direct reports to get the job done.  

You know what makes leadership?  It is the ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do, and like it. 

Harry S. Truman 

Managing people is challenging and we’ve all worked for “one of those bosses”, true?  I’m sure some of my direct reports would say that of me.  But when I hear the phrase “managing up” and the context it is often used in I wonder if it implies ways of avoiding the work our manager has assigned us to do.  

That said, John G. Miller reminds us there are examples of managing up that are actually a very good thing: 

            It was a beautiful day when I stopped into a Rock Bottom Restaurant for a quick lunch. The place was jammed.  I was happy to grab the one stool they had available at the bar. A few minutes after I sat down, a young man carrying a tray full of dirty dishes hurried by on how ay to the kitchen.  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed me, stopped, came back, and said, "Sir, have you been helped?" 

     "No, I haven't," I said. "And I'm in a bit of a hurry.  But all I really want is a salad and maybe a couple of rolls." 

     "I can get you that, sir. What would you like to drink?" 

     "I'll have a Diet Coke, please." 

     "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, we have Pepsi products.  Would that be all right?" 

     "Ah, no thanks", I said with a smile. "I'll just have water with lemon, please." 

     "Great, I'll be back."  He disappeared. 

     Moments later he returned with the salad, the rolls, and the water. I thanked him, and he was quickly gone again, leaving me to enjoy my meal, a satisfied customer. 

     Suddenly, there was a blur of activity off to my left, the "wind of enthusiasm" blew behind me, and the, over my right shoulder stretched the "long arm of service" delivering a twenty-ounce, bottle, frosty on the outside, cold on the inside, of - you guessed it - Diet Coke! 

     "Wow!" I said. "Thank you!" 

     "You're welcome", he said with a smile, and hurried off again. 

     My first thought was Hire this man! Talk about going the extra mile!  And the more I thought about the outstanding thing he'd just done, the more I wanted to talk to him.  So, as soon as I could get his attention, I waived him over. 

     "Excuse me, I thought you didn't sell Coke", I said. 

     "That's right, sir, we don't." 

     "Well where did this come from?" 

     "The grocery store around the corner."  I was taken aback. 

     "Who paid for it?"  I asked. 

     "I did, sir; just a dollar." 

     By then I was thinking profound and professional thoughts like cool! But what I said was, "Come on, you've been awfully busy.  How did you have time to get it?" 

  Smiling and seemingly growing taller before my eyes, he said, "I didn't, sir. I sent my manager!" 

Well there you go – from the customer’s perspective they don’t care who is managing who as long as the job gets done. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.