You’ve heard it said, and you know it’s true: Employees don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.
For many people, the primary ingredient in job satisfaction is not the quality of food in the lunchroom. It’s not the office layout or equipment. It’s not even the workload or salary or benefits. It’s the relationship with the boss. In fact, one study showed that 65% of workers surveyed would choose a new boss over a pay raise.
Many organizations still promote people because of their technical success rather than for management skills. To compound the problem, many new managers receive little or no training before jumping into their new roles. This makes for unhappy campers in the workplace.
As an alternative to the futile search for the perfect boss, you might consider working better with the boss you have. That’s the premise of Mary Abbajay, a seasoned leadership development consultant and author of the book Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss.
Managing up is not about managing a person. It’s about managing a relationship.
Self-awareness is a key to success with every relationship you experience in the workplace (and everywhere else).
There’s a big difference between a “difficult” boss (a micromanager, for example) and one who is “toxic” (demeaning, bullying, etc.).
Regardless of your own work title, what role does “followership” play in your career success?
If you feel you have a “problem boss,” which of the strategies discussed in this episode are most likely to help you operate productively in your work environment?
What are the chances that someone needs to “manage up” with you? Which of your behaviors might cause that person to feel such a need? How can you help make it “safe” to talk candidly with you?
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