Managing UP

It’s a bizarre concept that I think many of us are taught when we’re working in a corporate environment and it’s especially prominent when you’re in senior management, and middle management roles.

It was always what I was encouraged to do and during my career I found it increasingly frustrating that this was an expectation on me. That I was to focus my efforts and energy on not just managing my team, but managing my manager too. As if I wasn’t worthy or entitled to actually being managed and led. That this wasn’t my manager’s role to do, but mine!

Despite the sometimes ridiculousness of managing up, I do think it’s important for all of us to consider how we can get more of what we need to enable us to be our best, and this requires being honest, open, and directive with our managers to help them to get it right for us. They’re only human, they have blind spots, and they don’t always get it right. We owe it to ourselves to ask for what we need.

I discussed this in length with the brilliant Dr Erica Bowen when I joined her on her fabulous Lady Rebel Leader podcast recently. The ideas I offered to tackle this were:

• Accept that your manager is a human being who is flawed

• If you want something, you owe it to yourself to ask for it

• Be clear about what you want, and how it will deliver for you and your manager/the business

• Just have a conversation with them - what’s the worst that’s going to happen?

If you don’t advocate for yourself - truly back yourself - who will?!

You can listen to the full episode, and my conversation with Erica, across all major platforms now.

Managing Performance

Managing performance...what does it mean? Too many of us will quickly jump to addressing the poor performance and having the difficult, negative, challenging conversations but managing performance means so much more than that. Managing performance means ensuring individuals deliver success for themselves and the business to support the business to grow. It involves celebrating successes to reinforce success, encouraging learning and improvements, and facing into problems to resolve them quickly and effectively. But you have to have all elements in place to do this well - process, structure, and technique. Want support with your performance management infrastructure? Want to improve your techniques? Drop me an email [email protected]

What I’ve Been Up To

April was a busy month as my husband and I, plus our beloved Springer Spaniel Alfie, moved our family to Cape Town in South Africa! We’ve been spending more and more time here over the last 3 years and have chosen to make our arrangements here more permanent. I will continue my coaching, training, and podcasting from my Cape Town home, with visits to the UK when I can.

Judging for the first ever Women in Utilities Awards took place in April which I was privileged to be invited to be a part of. I was blown away by the incredible nominations, and the inspiring stories of so many women thriving in the sector. I am so excited to attend the awards ceremony taking place on 27th June in London, to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate all the amazing women contributing to our Utilities industry. Visit thewun.co.uk for the event details.

What I've Been Watching

I watched the recording of Radical Candor co-founder Kim Scott speaking at TedX Portland sharing how to say what you mean, without being mean, and continue to love Scott’s experience, insight, and wisdom about successfully managing people.

Radical Candor is based on the concept of caring personally, while challenging directly, and for me practically and successfully articulates the art of managing and leading others well. It encourages honesty, clarity, and direction, to build effective and productive relationships, to subsequently achieve effective and productive businesses.

Scott’s talk is honest, vulnerable, and entertaining as always, and offers some practical ideas for all managers and leaders trying to be better with people. Visit Ted.com to watch the recording and radicalcandor.com to learn more about Scott’s work.

What I've Been Listening To

You can now listen to my episode of Lady Rebel Leader Podcast with Dr Erica Bowen when I spoke to her about the challenges with being a middle manager and how it shouldn’t be so shit. In this lively conversation I talk about my personal experience being a middle manager which led me to discovering coaching, and launching my own coaching and training business. I talk about the challenges for middle managers, how and why this level becomes difficult for those operating in it, and what those in middle management positions can do to improve, enjoy, and be successful in their roles.

I loved this conversation so much! I particularly loved talking and laughing with Dr Bowen, about the flawed, and frustrating concept of ‘managing up’ (see main leading article). Listen to the episode across all major platforms now and learn more about Dr Erica Bowen at ladyrebelleader.com

The Coaching Cast: Employee Engagement with Ted Hewett, The People Experience Hub

Suzy and I have been recording the podcast for over 3 years and despite our focus on people, wellbeing, and achieving success, we’ve never focused an episode on how to successfully manage employee engagement.  Therefore it was about time we did, and that we invited an expert in this field to join us to support the conversation. Thankfully I had just the right person in mind! Ted Hewett is the Business Development Manager for The People Experience Hub and someone who I met many years ago during our time at British Gas. It was brilliant to welcome Ted to The Coaching Cast to share his experience, learnings, and advice in this important space. Listen to the episode now across all major platforms. Visit thecoachingcast.co.uk for further details.

My Clarity Hour

"Lisa really encouraged me to focus on what is happening right now, what I can do right now and what I personally need next. This was essential in helping me to get unstuck and start taking some action." Fiona, Clarity Hour Client, May 2023

Book a CLARITY HOUR for Just £150

If you’re a Middle Manager and feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, now is the time to focus on you and what you need to restore your confidence, balance, and energy. Why not try my Clarity Hour? 1 hour with me, virtually, on a day and time of your choosing. In the hour we'll explore together: What’s going on for you right now, what you want instead, what you’ve tried already, what’s getting in the way, what strengths and opportunities you have, and finally the steps towards achieving what you want. All of this for just £150. If you’re interested in grabbing one then visit gripcoaching.co.uk/services to book yours now. I'd LOVE to work with you.