Managing Up in a Down Economy

The days of flitting from company to company in search of the best compensation package are fading fast into history. With the economy on a downslide and pink slips in the forecast, it’s more important than ever to secure sound footing at your current job.

A survey by ivillage.com found that 55 percent of 7,760 employees said that showing initiative is the most important way to get ahead in the workplace. Another survey of CEOs found that 85 percent ranked employee loyalty as first among their most valued traits.

Job security may be a thing of the past, but you can tighten your grip on your position by proving yourself indispensable. One of the most effective ways to do this is through something called “managing up.”

Just as a manager brings out the best in his or her workers, an employee who manages up forges a productive relationship with his or her supervisor and identifies ways to work together for maximum effectiveness.

Build from the Foundation
Before you accept a position, make sure you share the goals and values of the people you will be working for. If you don’t know where your boss stands, or if you have a new supervisor, request some time together to discuss your mutual priorities and goals. This will clarify where you fit in and help you identify ways to support your supervisor. But don’t stop there. Ask your boss about his or her wish list for the department. Perhaps you’ll discover something over and above the goals that you can help accomplish.

Know Thy Boss
Learn as much as you can about your boss’s work style, personality quirks and pet peeves. One of my clients who takes a big picture approach to life, was dismayed to learn that her new boss operates on a much more analytical level. This stopped being a problem, however, when she learned to adjust her work style to mesh with his. Now she supplies him with numbers, charts and data. This has raised her credibility with her boss, who now trusts and respects her ideas.

Identify Weak Spots
Identify your supervisor’s weak areas and compensate for them. If for instance, your boss doesn’t enjoy networking, you can offer to reach outside of the organization and bring back your contacts for him or her. If you’re a sharp communicator but your boss isn’t, offer to take responsibility for drafting memos. By assuming the tasks that are difficult for your supervisor, you’re not only helping him or her, you’re aiding your own professional development by expanding your skills.

Customer Focus
Treat your supervisor as you would a customer: under-promise and over-deliver. Figure out what he wants and get it to him ahead of time. Your boss’s confidence in you will grow, and so will his or her dependence on you.

Reach High
Connect with key individuals in your organization and don’t be shy about letting them know how capable you are. In these uncertain times, it’s especially important to make yourself known to those in the upper layers of your organization. Should your boss be laid off, you’re less likely to follow close behind if the decision makers view you as valuable in your own right. Shining through to the upper echelons of your firm may also ease the way toward future promotions.

Managing up demonstrates your loyalty as well as your initiative. In this down economy, "managing up" is an important way to not only hang on to your job, but to position yourself for ongoing success.