Managing up Dave's Boss

Last month, I wrote a post about Dave’s boss. If you want to get a feel for the way Dave’s boss manages, you can read that post here.

After reading my “Managing Up” post, Dave commented on some of the techniques he has used to manage his boss. I thought they were insightful and so I have dedicated another post to “Dave’s Boss.” Dave’s boss is stereotypical in many ways. The tactics Dave developed are useful for many of you that live out there in the corporate jungle.

Dave says he is doing much better with his boss now that he has figured out some of his boss’s “tricks.” Dave has been watching his boss’s behavior and noticing patterns. It is imperative that we all observe our managers one on one, in meetings, and in more social settings. We need to get the whole picture. In order to manage our bosses, we must take the time to understand them and see what makes them tick.

One of the “tricks” Dave has observed is a very common. The trick is simply intimidation. Dave’s boss accomplishes this by spewing out a lot of questions. He is trying his best to fluster Dave, catch him off guard.

Dave calls it “fishing.” I like this term, because it describes what his boss is trying to accomplish ultimately. His boss really wants to know that things are going as planned and so he goes on a fishing trip.

The catch here (no pun intended) is to make sure the employee doesn’t know that he is showing up on the scope in the fishing boat. There are many subtle ways good managers can get information from their employees. It should never be intrusive.

Dave’s boss lets Dave know that he on a fishing trip. He is just waiting for a strong bite. Dave says that his boss tries to get him to say something that he can jump on and run. It is like getting the fish hooked and then letting out enough line to wear the fish out. When Dave’s boss gets a response he does not like, he pulls the fish up out of the water and throws him in the boat.

What has Dave learned? Like smart fish, he just nibbles a little here and there, but doesn’t get hooked. Dave controls the information that he gives to his boss. He still addressed the boss’s questions, but without all the detail that is ultimately used against him.

Dave is also leveraging the strength of his own spine. As Dave puts it “I have been standing up to him more when he brings out the steamroller.” Isn’t that a great image?

The result is effective. His boss has had little to no opportunity to hook him and wear him down. Dave doesn’t bite now. His boss still gets in some jabs, but the verbally abusive attacks have almost disappeared.

Dave’s final comments are so true. He said “I know in my case, managing up is difficult, but indeed required. “

I couldn’t say it any better. When a boss is difficult, managing up is not easy, but it is always required. Even if you work for the model manager, it may not be very difficult, but it is still required!