HPS Leadership Best Practices Journal™

Managing Up the Organization

A coaching client recently remarked, "Oh, great, now you're asking me to manage my boss, the CEO, and the senior management team as well!" I replied, "Well, in a sense, yes." We had just completed a review and discussion regarding the results of her 360-degree assessment and feedback. For those not familiar with this process, the 360-degree assessment process is a highly effective leadership development tool which provides anonymous performance-based feedback from an individual's manager, peers, and direct reports. My client had received some very candid feedback from her manager which included the perceptions of the CEO and several other senior management team members.

Since our coaching session was in the context of 360-degree feedback, I suggested that she consider her management responsibilities in a similar fashion. In other words, what could she have done differently in terms of managing "up" the organization that may have influenced her manager's observations and the perceptions of the CEO and senior management team? For example, what could she have done differently to have anticipated the needs of her boss, CEO, and other senior managers? Incidentally, her boss, the CEO, and senior leadership team were all female, and gender did not appear to be a factor in the performance feedback she had received. Clearly this is not always the case as gender, race, and other forms of diversity can impact perceptions in a variety of ways and circumstances.

I shared a personal experience which occurred about five years ago while I was leading a multi-phased downsizing and eventual closure of a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The chairman and CEO had just announced plans to consolidate operations to reduce expense and excess manufacturing capacity. I had anticipated a barrage of resources being made available to this particular division as well as many others affected by the CEO's decision. When the resources didn't appear, it became apparent that it would be necessary to identify my own resources and then manage up the organization. Fortunately, I had established excellent relationships and earned trust and high credibility with senior management. This allowed me a great deal of latitude in planning and leading the various aspects of the overall transition. I surveyed the situation, evaluated my options, and began making independent decisions. I also informed senior management about the logic, rationale, and desired outcomes of my strategy. My strategy involved building sponsorship with key stakeholders for all essential activities and transition milestones. Creating and sustaining timely and effective communication processes between employees and management was another essential component of transition success.

My client reflected on what I had shared and began to think about what she could do differently in the future to anticipate the needs of her manager and others versus waiting to respond to their requests. Together we began to develop a list of potential action steps which included some of the following:

• Find out what your boss is being held accountable for by the CEO and senior management team, including desired outcomes and key measures of success.
  
  
• Communicate to your boss that you would like to assume a more proactive role as a member of the team in anticipation of her needs and requests from up the organization.
  
  
• Leverage every available opportunity to talk with the CEO and senior management team to establish rapport, build trust, and demonstrate competence in your role and understanding the key business drivers.
  
  
• Search for opportunities to contribute to problem solving and innovation within the organization. Remember that paradigm shifts are often made by individuals who are not directly involved with the problem or necessarily having subject expertise (i.e. a fresh perspective often leads to innovative new ideas, process efficiency, improved customer service, cost savings, etc.).
  
  
• Volunteer to lead a project or participate on a task force particularly if it provides visibility up the organization. Never underestimate the power of relationships. In the final analysis, relationship is everything.

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