The Art of Managing Up

1
The Art of Managing Up

• State Consumer Services Agency
• Governors Office of the Insurance Advisor
• Director Kathleen Webb

2
Agenda

• How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  (a play, a movie, a revival)
• ISO Realities
• Managing vs. Manipulating
• Guidelines to Manage Up
• Managing Up or Leading Up
• Resources

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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

• A play, a movie, and a revival offering a
  satirical perspective on moving up the business
  ladder.
• J. Pierpont Finch, a young but bright
  window-cleaner buys a book - "How To Succeed In
  Business" and following its advice joins the
  multi-national but poorly-connected "World-Wide
  Wicket Company". Starting from the mail-room he
  rises to Vice-President in Charge Of Advertising
  using sneaky and dubious ways so that the person
  above him gets either fired or moved to another
  section of the company.
• Can Finch rise to the top or will it all go down
  in flames...

4
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

• Mr. Twimble Last month I became a
  quarter-of-a-century man. J. Pierpont Finch Oh,
  that's beautiful, a quarter-of-a-century. Mr.
  Twimble Quarter-of-a-century. J. Pierpont
  Finch How long have you been in the mail room?
  Mr. Twimble Twenty-five years. It's not easy to
  get this medal. It takes a combination of skill,
  diplomacy, and bold caution.
• While skill, diplomacy and bold caution are
  important qualities we will discuss methods
  that can create a win-win for everyone, including
  the organization and your projects.

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ISO Realities

• The ISO is required to oversee agency compliance
  with policies and procedures regarding the
  security of information assets.
• Strengths
• SAM requirements and guidelines
• Recommended reporting structure
• Elevation of OISPP
• Media attention on breaches
• California privacy laws
• Others

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ISO Realities

• Challenges
• Changes at leadership levels
• Competing priorities
• Size of operation
• Multiple tasks assignments
• Planning today for the possibility of an
  uncertain event in the future
• One element within a risk management program
• Budget constraints
• Others

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Managing vs. Manipulating

• Managing Up Defined
• the process of consciously working with your
  boss to obtain the best possible results for you,
  your boss and your organization. This is not
  political maneuvering or kissing up. Rather, it
  is a deliberate effort to bring understanding and
  cooperation to a relationship between individuals
  who often have different perspectives.

Quote from Thomas Zuber and Erika James.
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Managing vs. Manipulating

• Learning to manage up can be the ultimate win-win
  scenario for your career and organization.
• Benefits
• You are the expert at what you do!
• You have the best vantage point of what should be
  done.
• Successfully manage your program.
• Drawbacks
• ?

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Guidelines to Manage Up

• Successful managers pay attention to managing in
  all directions and communicating with their
  peers.
• 13 Tips to Successfully Manage Up
• Communicate fundamental to success
• Verbal
• Written
• Readers
• Listeners

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Guidelines to Manage Up

• No Surprises
• Good or Bad
• Provide Solutions, Not Problems
• Be Honest and Trustworthy
• Be Loyal and Committed
• Understand your bosss perspective and agenda
• Understand your bosss preferences

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Guidelines to Manage Up

• Understand your own management style
• Know the strengths and weaknesses of your
  management skills and take responsibility for its
  effect on others.
• Enthusiasm for your duties
• Department Goals vs. Personal Goals
• Embrace Learning
• Response to Change
• Ability to train and develop
• Ability to arbitrate disputes
• Big Picture View

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Guidelines to Manage Up

• Depend on your bosss strengths
• Recognize your bosss weaknesses
• Be aware of hot buttons and pet peeves
• Request Feedback
• Dont go over your bosss head or behind their
  back.

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An Essential Tool

• Managing up sounds simple, but managers, and
  everyone else, need to learn this basic concept.
  If we want someone to understand what we have to
  say, we must learn to speak their language,
  rather than expect them to learn ours. Richard
  L. Knowdell, Building a Career Development
  Program Nine Steps for Effective Implementation
• Help me help you and the organization succeed!

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Managing Up or Leading Up

• Leading up involves the ability to influence
  people above you to help them strategically
  achieve better results.
• Managing involves tactically driven activity
• Leading involves strategically driven activity
• Leading up may involve offering strategic insight
  and coaching to enhance an organizations delivery
  models and outcomes.
• Awareness of your environment is critical to
  avoid pitfalls leading up may not be an option.

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Resources

• Articles
• Wayne Turk, The Art of Managing Up, Defense ATL
  March-April 2007
• Leading Up The Art of Managing Your Boss,
  Knowledge_at_Emory, July 4, 2001
• Mark Chapman, How to Manage Up The Art of
  Managing Your Boss, SearchWarp.com, October 2007
• Books
• Throwing the Elephant Zen and the Art of
  Managing Up, Stanley Bing, 2002, Harper Business
  - Harper Collins Publishers