“managing up” in difficult situations by bill english - sptechcon

Managing Up

Ideas on How to Make Your SharePoint Deployment Successful In

Spite of Your Manager

MANAGING UP IS MORE ABOUT MANAGING YOURSELF THAN ANYTHING ELSE

Core Idea

To Manage Yourself…..

• …Must have:– Core Values– Integrity– Boundaries

Core Values

• This is demonstrated:– In how you spend your time– In those parts of you that are not negotiable

• Forms the foundation for your life values, behaviors and traditions

To Manage Yourself…..

• …Must have:– Core Values– Integrity– Boundaries

INTEGRITY = INTEGRATED

Integrity is the courage to meet the demands of reality

Who a person is will ultimately determine their success in life – more than their brains, talents and competencies

Three Essentials

• Competent – must be good at something• Alliance Builder – build alliances or

coalitions with others who are better than you at skills you need to reach win/win relationships

• Character – must have the character not to screw it up

Ask Yourself

Considering my brains, talents and competencies, am I reaching my full potential or is something holding me back from being all

that I could be?

Character

• Much more than NOT lying, cheating or stealing

• Courage, character and competencies to meet the demands of reality– Integrated personality and life

If we lack integrity…

• …then we’re unable to meet the demands of reality

• No matter how talented, smart, educated or affluent we are, our ability to capitalize on our brains, talents and competencies will be significantly, negatively affected by our lack of integrity

Six areas of focus

• The ability to connect authentically• The ability to be oriented toward the truth• The ability to work in a way that gets

results and finishes well• The ability to embrace, engage and deal

with the negative• The ability to be oriented toward growth• The ability to be transcendent

Six areas of focus

Six Personal Traits• Connect authentically• Oriented toward truth• Get results & finish well• Embrace the negative

• Oriented toward growth• Transcendence

As Seen in Business• Leads to trust• Operate in reality• Accomplish the mission• End, resolve or transform

problems• Increase skills & persona• Work within a larger

purpose

The “Wake”: what we leave behindThe wake doesn’t lie and doesn’t care about excuses

Tasks• What did s/he

accomplish?

Relationships• How did s/he treat other

people?

The “Gap”

• Difference between our present level of functioning in each of the six areas and the ideal

• We’ll never achieve perfection, but we can improve throughout life

Dysfunction: exertion of effort in a gap that causes a greater gap – a greater problem exists after than before

Dysfunction ≠ Mistakes

To Manage Yourself…..

• …Must have:– Core Values– Integrity– Boundaries

Boundaries Start with Controlling What You Can Control - Yourself

What is a boundary?

• Boundaries define ownership• Ownership leads to control• Freedom to make choices• Ability to set limits• Right to protect what you own• With all this comes responsibility,

accountability and consequences

What Boundaries Do For Us

• Differentiation and Separateness• Containment• Definition of self• Set limits on ourselves and others• Build core values

Results:

• Live by the law of sowing and reaping• Live by the law of responsibility to vs. for• Live by the law of respect• Live by the law of motivation• Live by the law of hurt vs. harm

But My Boss is a Jerk!

• Rude• Demeaning• Demanding• ADD• Apathetic• Unavailable• Weird• Sick• Immature

How to Manage Up

• Put the problem where it should be• Take responsibility for your own actions• Communicate clearly, honestly, firmly &

calmly• Embrace the negative & either end,

resolve or transform the problem• Build alliances to get the project done –

but inform your boss of your activities

Other thoughts

• Don’t violate your values for a job• Demand respect and give it – even if they

don’t deserve it• Work on increasing the number of things

you can do as your grow older• Have a transcendent purpose that is

outside of work• Take the emotion out of business