Managing Upward a Partnership Plan for Employees and Bosses

`Managing Upward' A practical step by step guide for learning, or reminding of the many nuances of effective communication. It does this by focusing on the characteristics of good relationships, communication gaps, and misaligned goals and expectations between a worker and a boss. It strikes me, there doesn't seem to be many books as concise, quick to read, and solely dedicated towards addressing this single challenging issue. The book includes many exercises designed to aid with self assessment with regard to understanding one's own ability to communicate and to comprehend the many facets of effective communication. If you are having difficulty in your relationship with your boss, all is not lost. This book can help you put matters into perspective and assist you in understanding the parts which may be missing, but are essential to good communication. I felt, depending on the scenario, some of the exercises may not be realistic to practice as described. One example was an exercise designed to be completed jointly by the worker and the boss - this might seem like a near impossible task in light of a serious communication issue. A worker may prefer taking a bone away from a ravenous dog, rather than handing their boss a questioner to fill out. All kidding aside - I do agree, regardless of the scenario, the exercises are all well suited to help build insight towards the particular facet of communication it addresses. One insight I had about this book - it seems by it's title and design to imply it was written to cater to the worker's perspective towards understanding how to better communicate with their boss, thus enabling them to `Manage Upward'. I feel the the book is much more versatile - the concept of `Managing Upward' is a desirable dynamic for all involved. Managers who better understand the common road-blocks and essential elements to enable effective communication are better poised to produce it in their environment. If you are a boss and detect communication challenges among you and your staff, or you are just interested in fine tuning communication practices within your department, you'll enjoy this guide-book - a combination of unique and tried and true communication concepts. Don't be afraid to hand them out to your staff!

I have gone through a job change after seventeen years in the same department. A colleague knew my job skills and recommended me for a top-level position with an opportunity to grow. This book was particularly helpful to me. It reassured me that this move was the right move and for the right reasons. The book helped me see that I have increased my self-confidence and motivation. I have found that the new office staff andI share the same big picture focus and work well as team players. The clean organizational goals and values provide me with a sense of direction, mission, and pride. My supervisor is a perfectionist as the book describes: "Perfectionistalways find a better way to do something, and they have trouble knowing when to stop. They have high expectations for themselves and others." The job change has reduced my stress and I can now reserve energy for tougher workdays. I enjoy my new job responsibility and can focus on the big picture. My supervisor has confidence in my job skills and my relationships with others.

As soon as I read the first page I knew this was a book for me! It is a book for everyone because we all have a boss of some sort. I wanted something to help me consciously improve collaboration with my boss plus ways to manage my work better. I have been a Staff Development Educator for over 20 years and have had many bosses. Each has had varied management and working styles. Health care has seen tremendous changes over the years. We all need streamlined work habits to get the job done. Managing Upward gives the reader strategies & tips on how to function in today's work environment, satisfying your own personal goals as well as supporting the organization's mission. Part of the book that I liked best was the section on how to have effective meetings with the boss. Most all of us use an agenda but the book suggested an outline to use for planning of these meetings. Start with "good news". Proceed to "business updates' and "problem solving issues". Next give "updates on projects" you are currently working on including your "action plan". End with listing agenda items for the "next meeting". This book helped me realize that following a meeting format helps save everyone's time. An effective meeting builds bridges of understanding between you and your boss and provides a trust level for both of you. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts with you!

I received and read this book with much anticipation, as I have felt for sometime now, that I am not succeeding with my boss.While reading this book I quickly saw many comparisons, not only in my own attitudes and behaviors, but those of my boss, too. It is amazing when you see some of these things put in writing, just how much they fit what you are dealing with. Some areas I found most interesting were:· How Well Do You Express Yourself? - Not only did this help me evaluate myself, but I could also use them to evaluate my boss.· Communication Gaps - This section really emphasized what I have believed for many years -- many people do not "hear" what is being said, - they may "listen," but lack the ability to hear. Listening and hearing are two completely different things. I liked the way this was illustrated in the sentences "...that if you rearrange the letters in the word 'listen,' you get 'silent.' and 'You cannot listen when you are talking." · Criticizing Your Boss - Reading this section made me realize that my past experience of being a supervisor and manager sometimes makes me too quick and/or comfortable in providing criticism to my boss. · How to Read Your Boss - One of my favorite sections. I will try my very best to put this to good use - although being 300 miles away from my boss, this is going to be difficult. This section also made me realize that the fact we are both "Perfectionists" may be part of the reason we don't always communicate well.· Managing Time Management Monsters - Some of the barriers mentioned contribute to my situation - particularly "Lack of Information - I routinely find myself having to tell my boss to give me/us all of the facts", and "Unavailable Boss - due to changes in management structure we have gone from having a dedicated Unit Supervisor to only having a Manager, who not only has direct supervison of our Unit but also now must supervise another Unit and function as department manager at the same time.", and "Disorganized Boss - this is becoming more of an issue all of the time, because she has too many irons in the fire."Perhaps two lines at the end of this book sum it up best: "It is your right and responsibility to manage your manager. It is part of your job." I now have more tools to help me manage my manager and in the process "Succeed with My Boss!"Thank you Patti and Susan for a most insightful and interesting book. I highly recommend it to anyone having a struggle in their relationship with their boss. I am going to recommend it to many of my co-workers and my boss!

Managing Upward: Strategies for Succeeding with Your Boss is an excellent quick-read offering immediate and tangible results. This unique approach to improving our relationships with our bosses is novel, sensible, and practical! Hathaway and Schubert have done a masterful job succinctly explaining how, as subordinates, we can be proactive in managing our relationships with our bosses, improving not only our own performance, but the performances of our managers and teams, as well! Especially noteworthy is the book's self-assessment and planning guides that allow the reader to quickly evaluate strengths and weakness and to develop a practical plan of action for managing one's boss. Your boss may never know what hit him/her, but he/she will definitely appreciate and benefit from your implementations of the ideas in this book!