In the first part of this series, “Managing Up: Part 1 – How to Manage Your Image,” we described some simple steps you can follow to keep yourself seen in a positive light by your manager and other higher-ups in your company. These will improve your image and keep you in line for the next series of promotions.
But you must follow the rules to keep yourself from getting into trouble with the higher-ups. Here are some simple rules you should follow.
Rules to Follow:
1. Avoid notoriety. Stay away from activist demonstrations and questionable locations where you might get on the wrong end of a news camera.
2. Never drink alcoholic beverages at lunchtime on a workday. Even if the boss does so, don’t be tempted. If you drive a company owned vehicle, for any reason, never consume alcohol before driving because the legal risks, particularly if you kill someone, extend to the company. Most companies will terminate an employee who drinks and drives a company vehicle.
CASE STUDY # 2: I met a young man who went to lunch with his boss and matched the bosses 5 beers during lunch. When the boss returned to the office he told the personnel manager to put a note in the young man’s file that he had a drinking problem. That young man got passed over several times for promotions until he discovered the note in his file. He did not have a drinking problem, just the misguided notion that when out with the boss, do as the boss does. (True story).
3. Always be available for overtime. Cancel whatever you have planned: the job comes first. That is the essential image that you must convey to the people above you; job first, family and friends second. When you reach your desired level in the hierarchy, then and only then can you afford to ease off a little.
4. Never submit reports with errors in them. Always double check your information. Nothing is more self-destructive than incorrect reporting.
5. Always be on time or early with accurate reports. Nothing bugs a senior executive more than late reports.
6. Never upstage your boss in the presence of other people unless your boss asks you to tell something that you have both agreed to previously.
CASE STUDY # 3: A young man was in a corporate meeting with his boss. The chairman asked the young man’s boss a question, the boss didn’t know the answer, but the young man did and he volunteered the answer. That was the beginning of the end for that young man. Four months later he was fired. Under those circumstances he should have remained silent, unless his boss asked him for an answer.
7. Always be punctual, particularly in the mornings. Most bosses are very observant in the mornings. If you have a tendency to be tardy the boss will notice. It always seems to happen when you are running late: the boss wants some information and you are not in yet, which gives your boss the feeling that you are unreliable. If your boss comes in early, it’s a good practice for you to do the same thing.
If you want to be in line for the next series of promotions, you must follow the above rules, otherwise you will most surely be passed over.
Even though you keep your nose clean and follow these rules, there are some specific things you can to to increase your chances of promotion.. We’ll discuss these in part 3 of “Managing Up.”
Copyright (c) 2003 All Rights Reserved by Institute of Management Studies.
Kempton Smith and Michael Williams help people managing people achieve excellence in management. Visit their web site http://www.instituteofmanagementstudies.com for more articles and management training resources.
