From the course: Managing Up

Three ways to avoid getting burned

From the course: Managing Up

Start my 1-month free trial

Three ways to avoid getting burned

“

- I guess you could say I was lucky the day my boss was fired and I wasn't fired a long with her. Admittedly, I made one of the three common mistakes leaders make when it comes to managing up. I attached my star to the boss and become known as her gal rather than being known as my own person. While this strategy served me well as my boss rose up in the organization, it could've easily resulted in my demise. I always remind my coaching clients to refrain from aligning themselves too closely with one person in the organization. If this person falls out of favor, you'll likely go down as well. Instead, focus on being your own person and building a stellar reputation. There are a number of ways you can step out of your boss' shadow and into the limelight. Start by presenting your own work. If your boss gives you pushback on this, remind him you can quickly respond to questions and provide more detail since you know this project inside and out. You can also volunteer to attend meetings when your boss is unable to participate. Doing so will help you gain more exposure. Another area where I have seen people get burned at work is mistakenly believing they can go over the boss' head and live to tell the tale. I can't think of one time when doing so resulted in a happy ending. For as long as there have been organizations, there has been a chain of command. Without it, there would be chaos. Unless something illegal is going on, I recommend working with your boss rather than against your boss to resolve any issues you may have. The third common mistake I've seen leaders make when managing up is lying to their boss. I mean, really, what's a little white lie or two, surely no one cares. Your boss cares, and if he catches you in a lie, or should I say, when he catches you, I guarantee you'll care. It's so easy to get caught these days. Everyone, including your kids, have cameras. And believe me when I tell you, while you're on the phone notifying your boss you're too sick to work today, your daughter is on Instagram sharing pictures of you and the family at the shore. As you work to move your career forward, be sure you build your own reputation and aren't simply known as someone's right hand person. Think twice, no think three times before going over your boss' head, and never lie to your boss.

Contents