Week 110: Managing Up – #AlphaFemaleFriday

Week 110: Managing Up – #AlphaFemaleFriday

“ WEEK 110 / 133 – 133 WEEKS TO SUCCESS “

The term “managing up” refers to consciously seeking to make you and your boss look like superstars. I’ve been thinking about this term a lot since I started reading City Dharma, a book about practically applying dharma principles in the hectic everyday urban life. One story in the book tells of a time where the author was waiting on line at the bank as he witnessed an elderly man scream and struggle. The author’s first instinct was to spring into action in order to help, to apply his dharma principles and save the frustration of everyone else on line at the bank. The elderly man didn’t react according to his plan, but instead, the bank manager was able to calm the man down and the situation was solved.

The bank manager was present in the moment, wakeful to the situation at hand without any ulterior motives. Her agenda was plain and simple: help someone who needed her help. The author, in contrast, although he wanted to help, was trying to use his own agenda (AKA applying dharma principles) to help him and feel like a hero. Even though it was well-intended, it was ultimately futile and riddled with his own needs rather than the pure desire to just help someone.

When we manage up, in order to do effectively, we need to seek to make our boss or our colleagues look like superstars—genuinely. Being part of a team is all about collaboration, and if we only have our needs in mind—even if seemingly harmless such as seeking a promotion or taking over an account—then we lose sight of the bigger picture. We should help the people we work with or work for not because it makes us seem like a good sport, or because you want to show off your inherent altruistic desires. Help others and deliver excellent work because you know it’s the right thing to do, and all else will fall into place.

Cheers,

Kelly

@AlphaFemSociety tweets by @KellyRGonzales

About:

Each week, I take a tip from Lois P. Frankel’s book, Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office, and explore how each of these tips affect myself and other women in similar positions on the road to becoming the women we want to be. There are far and few between who are a few steps behind me, and many more who are far advanced. I found that Lois P. Frankel’s advice applied to novice, intermediates, and experts alike. It helped me see that I was already doing right, served as a reminder to keep on doing what I was doing and how to keep that momentum going. The book also showed me areas where I could improve, and gave realistic tips to jump on board. There are a total of 133 tips, and explore one tip per week in a program I call: 133 Weeks to Success.

Join the movement using the hashtag #133WeeksToSuccess with posts which are posted every #AlphaFemaleFriday.