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Managing Your Manager

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Summary

In this article, the author provides advice to help employees manage their managers in order to be successful. The author suggests that employees consider their managers' goals, preferences, motivations, and style when working with them. They also suggest that employees consider whether their manager values craft or machinery, how they interact with the broader organization, how they assign tasks or goals, and whether they prefer to be a companion or hero manager. Finally, the author suggests considering whether their manager prefers to see raw material or packaged ideas in order to best communicate with them.

Q&As

What are some key strategies for managing one's manager?
Key strategies for managing one's manager include clarifying career aspirations, providing regular and consistent progress updates, sharing principles for what constitutes "great work," plugging into processes, proactively pointing out examples for where things could be better, and asking questions early and often.

What types of managers exist, and how can one best work with them?
Types of managers include those motivated by developing people, delivering outcomes, valuing craft, valuing machinery, upholding conditions, challenging conditions, being a companion, being a hero, preferring to see raw material, and preferring to see packaged material.

What are the differences between a manager who assigns tasks versus one who assigns goals?
Managers who assign tasks share tightly-scoped workstreams and expect work to be accomplished to spec as efficiently as possible. Managers who assign goals share the problem statement and expect the team member to come up with the tactics that will provide the best solution most efficiently.

How does a manager's preference for raw material versus packaged material affect the way work is presented?
A manager's preference for raw material versus packaged material affects the way work is presented in that a manager who prefers raw material is interested in processes and likes to be thought-partner in the work, while a manager who prefers packaged material wants to see only the most critical pieces of information and likes weekly updates and curated presentations.

How can one build trust with their manager to move from tasks to goals?
Building trust with one's manager to move from tasks to goals can be done by aligning on the brief for the project, doing the work very well and very quickly, pushing oneself towards the 'assigns goals' end of the spectrum by always asking what the overall goals are, and measuring and reporting on the outcomes.

AI Comments

👍 This article is a great resource for understanding how to better work with your manager and get the most out of your job. It provides a comprehensive overview of the different types of managers and how to cater your approach to them.

👎 This article is overly long and can be quite dense. It may be difficult to get through all of the material and can be overwhelming for some readers.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about managing your manager. It looks at how helping your manager succeed can help you succeed, too. It also discusses different questions you can ask to figure out what makes your manager tick, and the different tactics you can use depending on your manager's motivations, preferences, and style.

Friend: Interesting. What do you think the implications of the article are?

Me: I think the article emphasizes the importance of understanding your manager's goals, motivations, and preferences. It suggests that by taking the time to understand what makes your manager tick, you can tailor your approach to how you work with them, which in turn can help you both succeed. It also suggests that it's important to take a proactive approach to building trust with your manager, by being reliable and thoughtful in your work, and by expressing your appreciation for their help.

Action items

Take the time to reflect on the questions posed in the article and plot your manager on the spectrums provided.
Consider how you can help your manager succeed and how that will help you succeed.
Try out the suggested tactics for each spectrum your manager falls on and track the progress and impact of your work.

Technical terms

Subscribe: To sign up to receive a publication or service, such as a newsletter.
Sponsor: A person or organization that provides financial or other support for an event, activity, or organization.
Spectrum: A range of values, opinions, or behaviors.
Lexicon: A vocabulary or collection of words used in a particular language, field, social class, or other group.
Stakeholder: A person, group, or organization that has an interest or concern in an organization.
White-boarding: A brainstorming technique used to generate ideas and solutions.
2x2: A matrix used to compare two sets of two variables.
Decision Tree: A diagram used to make decisions by breaking down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts.
Micromanager: A person who pays extremely close attention to details and exerts a high level of control over their subordinates.
Player-Coach: A person who is both a player and a coach in a particular sport or activity.
Shit Umbrella: A person who takes responsibility for a problem or situation, shielding others from the consequences.
Opt-in/Opt-out: A choice given to a user to either accept or decline a service or offer.