“If a bulletin came out from head office saying that all managers had to wear a dress, he’d be the first guy in line down at the ladies-wear store” — Rick
Rick was a facility manager I interacted with many years ago who was an excellent upward manager. He also disdained boot-licking as is evidenced in the quote above. Most managers understand the importance of leading and managing well the people that report to them. Unlike Rick however, these same managers have a huge blind spot when it comes to managing their bosses.
Rick was a good manager. He knew his business very well, and he was very even-handed in how he managed people. In some cases, he knew the business better than his bosses, and didn’t hesitate to tell them so:
“I’m not sure who came up with this idea, but they’ve never actually worked in this industry before. I guess I’ll have to read them their fortune, and let them know it will never fly”.
Rick had no problem saying “no” to his bosses. In many cases his boss would thank him for pointing out some of the ridiculous things that somehow made their way out of head office. So how did he do this, and not get himself fired?
First – he picked his battles well. The bigger the organization, the more people there are far away from the perverbial coal-face to think up stupid ideas. You can’t possibly fight all the stupidity, so you need to choose wisely.
Second – he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t offer platitudes and opinions when he opposed his boss. He brought data and evidence. It’s hard to argue with someone who has done his homework
Third – he offered good feedback to his boss as much or more as he offered constructive criticism. He nurtured a “no BS” relationship with his boss, and constantly improved his credibility. When it came time to challenge his boss, his credibility account was built up enough that even when his boss disagreed, he would still listen.
Give it a try – or you could just be an unbelievable brown noser. Apparently that can work too: