Managing Up in Leadership

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Several leaders have recently asked me to talk with their teams about “managing up.”  Interestingly, even the term may mean different things to different leaders. If we manage up successfully, we create a strong relationship with our supervisor, allowing us to meet our work needs and encouraging each person to learn and grow. I have a close colleague who successfully navigated a CNO position in one medical center for 26 years under five CEOs in a health system not known for long CNO retention. She told the following story when I asked about it:

Each CEO that I have worked for has been different. Some I liked a great deal and others less. The key to my success was my ability to manage up effectively regardless of CEO’s personality. I focused on excellent communication, establishing an effective working relationship, knowing the CEO’s leadership style, and adapting to it. I also kept each CEO’s five key priorities front and center – not always easy because they focused on a range of priorities. I also sought feedback frequently about my performance and areas where I could improve. The most challenging thing about managing up is that it is work trying to figure out leader preferences and sometimes I learned when I had made a mistake. 

My colleague had it right with the managing up behaviors that she emphasized. Ideally, the leader you report to will share expectations and let you know how to work with them effectively. But the reality is that some don’t, so you need to ask the questions and gain clarity on managing the relationship. Right now, many nurse managers need help with how to help their leaders have a line of sight on what is going on at the front lines.

Some good questions to ask both reflectively and to the individual include the following:

1. How would you describe your supervisor’s communication style? How would you describe your communication style? How do those styles interact together in your working relationship? Are there areas where you need to modify your style?
2. How would you describe your supervisor’s work style and preferences? How would you describe your work style and preferences? How do those styles interact together in your working relationship? Are there modifications that you need to make?
3. What are the critical priorities of the leader I report to? What performance metrics do they focus on? How do your priorities (similar or different) in your unit management?
4. How often should I meet with my leader to ensure good communication? (I always advise leaders to err on the side of over-communication).
5. How open is my leader to feedback and how can I most effectively provide it?
6. What aspects of unit operations should I report on to my leader?
7. How can I avoid my leader getting blindsided by information presented to her about my area?
8. What should we do if we are in conflict about an issue?
9. How can I contribute to a supportive relationship?
10. How can I help my leader to manage up to those who lead them?

Nurse managers, especially when new may not think much about managing up. It should be part of their leadership orientation. Ultimately, the most successful leaders are those who also successfully manage up.

© emergingrnleader.com 2023

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