Workshop for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network on the topic of managing up, or how to work successfully with your supervisor

1. Welcome! And thank you for being here. We will have networking from 6:00 – 6:30pm. Please help yourself to refreshments. The workshop will begin promptly at 6:30pm.

2. Managing Up: How to Make Your Supervisor Work for You Workshop for YNPN Friday, September 25, 2009, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Support Center for Nonprofit Management, Training Room, 11 th Floor 305 Seventh Avenue @ 27th Street, NY, NY

8. Warm-up Group Activity Please discuss and flipchart: What made you decide to attend this session today? What is one challenge you face managing up with your current supervisor? When you go back home and back to work, what takeaways would you like to use from this session?

9. From Managing Up: Expert Solutions to Everyday Challenges by Harvard Business Press Definition “Managing up is a conscious approach to working with your manager toward mutually agreed-upon goals that are in the best interests of you, your boss, and your organization. It is not mere political maneuvering; rather, it is a process of influencing your manager to make decisions that benefit both of you as well as the company.” How would you describe “managing up” in plain English?

10. From a class at Baruch’s School of Public Affairs Another perspective In any interaction with your supervisor, it should be your number one priority to make sure your supervisor feels good. If your supervisor feels good around you, it will benefit your effectiveness at your job and therefore benefit your clients , and it will also benefit your career. You can make your supervisor feel good through gestures such as asking about her/his weekend and showing that you are pleased to see your supervisor. Importantly, you can also make your supervisor feel good by being so good at your job that you rarely cause your supervisor headaches or lost sleep. What is your reaction to this concept?

12. How well do you manage up? For each statement below, answer yes or no to indicate whether the statement applies to you. 1. I am aware of my manager’s expectations of me and have articulated my expectations of my boss. 2. When I negotiate with my boss, I use we and I language. 3. I regularly inform my manager of what I’m working on. 4. I notify my manager of problems promptly and suggest several solutions to consider. 5. My boss and I deal with disagreements as they arise. 6. My relationship with my manager is characterized by trust and reliability. 7. I understand my boss’s pressures and priorities. 8. My manager never steps in to direct one or more of my employees. 9. I’ve asked my manager openly about his or her management style and likes and dislikes and have adapted my style to my boss’s as much as possible. 10. I take as much time as necessary to communicate with my manager about important matters. 11. I seek ways to exert my influence on other department leaders, customers, and suppliers so as to support my manager’s goals.

13. Interpreting Your Score • If you answered yes to most or all of the statements, you have significant managing-up capability. But keep learning to see what else you can learn about this important business skill. • If you answered no to most or all of the statements, you would benefit from learning more about how to manage up effectively.

18. Wrap-up What is the most useful takeaway for you from this session, and how will you begin to use it when you go back to work next week?

19. Questions?

20. Thank you! Special thanks: YNPN & YNPN Professional Dev. Committee Special thanks: Ratna Noteman Professional Dev. Chair, YNPN