Telling Truth to Power: Do We Have What It Takes to Manage Up?
By Kathy Martucci, PMP:
How many times have we been told that we need to “manage up”? When someone says that, we all know what they mean. Or do we? What do we really need to do to manage up?
It’s been said that managing up is a complex set of skills for gaining cooperation from the boss, especially when managing both projects and people. There’s an endless supply of articles, books, blogs, and you-name-it out there expounding on the concept and offering advice on managing your boss.
The most intriguing tidbit I found on the subject was a basic tenet of managing up – telling the boss bad news. No one, and I mean no one, wants to tell his or her boss bad news. Think about it…when was the last time you had to do that? Got butterflies, anyone?
Why is this so important? “Telling the truth to the boss is the first responsibility of an ethical subordinate. We’re hired for our brains and for the ability to use them. We’re paid to give our best effort, which includes our best thinking.”
If we agree that it’s one of our most important duties, and we’re smart people, why is it so difficult to do? Answers to that question could include:
- Our natural resistance to conflict/confrontation
- The feeling that this goes against “being a team player”
- We’re intimidated by authority
In order for us to be as effective as we can be, we must be ready and willing to tell the boss the truth no matter what. Maybe we can use the following idea.
Remember, all of us, including our bosses:
- Are open to new ideas and suggestions
- Want things to happen in the most efficient way
- Want to get the best result
…and that’s the truth.
