5 tips for managing up working to further goals of senior leadership

5 tips for managing up working to further goals of senior leadership5 tips for managing up working to further goals of senior leadershipThe process of actively managing up, or actively working to further the goals of senior leadership, to mutual benefit, is more than just an occasional tactic or a meeting-room behavior. Managing up is a philosophy by which you frame your actions to makes sure that those leading you feel as supported and energized by your efforts as those you are leading.Interested in learning how to put your skills to use and make sure both you and your bosses end up on top? Read on.Know what mattersTo effectively work towards achieving the goals of senior leaders, first you must know what they are striving to accomplish. Understanding whats important is critical, and its bedrngnis just about the day-to-day performance metrics or the quarterly results. Know what the larger picture is and how your bosses plan to realize their vision for the organizations growth and prosperity thats what you really want to know. Whether theyre trying to shift a groups business focus,solve a problem, open a new line of revenue or change a corporate culture, listen up and take notes.Connect broadlyIt may landseem that focusing all your attention on just one manager may be the way to go, but opportunities are missed when you dont see the larger vision. Spend the time and effort to learn the motivations of multiple senior leaders - not just to help further your goals or those of your bosses, but to broadly work towards achieving success. The more you know and can choose your actions wisely, the more you can contribute to the overall success of the organization, which will put you in good standing with many people.Garner supportManaging up is not just following the goals and aspirations of your managers its also about presenting your ideas (and how they fit into the larger picture) so that everyone can work to mutual benefit. Who better to advocate at a senior le vel than the senior leadership who has you working to further their objectives and help them succeed.Help others, and they will help you when you genuinely work together, great things can happen for both of you.Keep stakeholders informedMake sure your stakeholders are well informed. Very few of us like workplace surprises, and one of the best ways to support senior leaders is making certain they have the right info, at the right time. Whether they have to do a formal presentation or navigate an informal hallway conversation,communicate to make suretheyre always in the know, it will go a long way to securing your place as a valued member of their inner circle.Build personal relationshipsSimilar to the connections you build within your own team, it is important to establish personalrelationships with senior leaders, too. Knowing the motivations of your managers inside and outside the office can help you best position your actions to help achieve their goals. Having a genuine, shared interest or personal rapport will also keep you top of mind in their decision making.Very few senior leaders are looking for so-called yes men (or women) or for people to selflessly throw themselves into achieving the organizations larger goals. They are, however, very interested in establishing strong, mutually beneficial relationships with hard workers who see the big picture. If you want to gain supportfor your own ideas, start by creating your own plan for managing up, putting some of your own energy into consistently and visibly furthering the ideas of your managers. Managing up will make you a better manager, no matter the direction.Joel Garfinkle is the author of 300 articles on leadership and seven books, includingHow to Be a Great BossandGetting Ahead. As anexecutive leadership coach,he recently helped a senior leader become a valued member of top leadership by working with her on many of the key steps listed above. More than 10,000 people subscribe to hisFulfillmentWorkne wsletter.Subscribeand youll receive the free e-book 41 Proven Strategies to Get Promoted NowIf you enjoyed this article, sign up for SmartBriefs free e-mailson leadershipandcareer growth, among SmartBriefsmore than 200 industry-focused newsletters.

5 Practical Ways to Feel More Joy in Your Job - The Muse

5 Practical Ways to Feel More Joy in Your Job - The Muse5 Practical Ways to Feel More Joy in Your JobJob and joy have one letter between them, but for many theyre like chalk and cheese, oil and water, or snakes and mongooses.And yet people do experience joy in their work. Theyre the people who regale you with tales of how much they love what they do and make you feel bad because you dont leap out of bed on a Monday morning.Your mind might spring to the likes of Oprah and Richard Branson, but joyful work isnt exclusively for the super-rich and super-successful. A high school teacher who loves helping kids develop their talents will find joy in his job. An art director will find joy through shaping a creative vision and seeing it come to life. And a bank clerk who loves people will find joy in her work when she treats customers like human beings instead of commodities.Here are five ways to feel more joy in your work.1. Dont Be an IslandWhen youre hating on your job, theres a tendency t o withdraw from the people you work with. You dont chat with them because you dont even want to be there. You dont ask about them because you dont care. And you dont laugh with them because you just want to get your work done and get home.Time and time again, polls have shown that the people you work with are the number one reason for loving a job. So disconnecting yourself from people will not only deprive you from human connections that can provide some much needed relief, support, and joy, but itll also do real damage to your happiness prospects and self-esteem.Say hey. Be interested. Smile. Offer help. Not because you have to, but because theres more fun to be had when youre part of a community.2. Accept ResponsibilitySometimes the last thing you want to do is raise your flosse and take on responsibility, especially when you have a full plate already. But if youre not responsible for something, youll feel like a tiny, insignificant cog in a big machine.When you side-step respons ibility for the contribution you make, you also side-step the inherent value you get from it.More than a sense of a job well done, taking and accepting responsibility is the only way you can really see your contribution. Whether you played a small role in a big project or were leading a complex program of work, you have an impact. Maybe you offered a dependable, ever-present skill that helped things along. Maybe you had an idea for a better way of doing things. Or maybe you listened to people and made the best choices you could.Whatever your contribution, own it.3. Dont Play GamesYou know why politicians dont give straight answers? Its because they want to avoid responsibility (see above), want to get their own way, and want everyone to like them. Its an extraordinary combination of self-interest that isnt just seen in Washington and Westminster, but in offices everywhere.Office politics will eat you alive if you let them. From building your empire at the expense of others to being sure to cover your own ass and assign blame elsewhere to only showing the sides of you that you think will earn the fruchtwein favor, politics is all about the detail of your own agenda and never about joy.Watch for the politics. The little jabs and comments that might draw you in. Occupying yourself with image over value. Getting distracted by ego and agendas rather than doing great work.Find joy in playing tennis, Trivial Pursuit, or Candy Crush by all means. Just dont play at politics.4. EngageResisting, fighting, or struggling against your job is only going to strip away any possibility of enjoyment. Even though you may not enjoy your job a whole lot, why spend your energy flapping your wings against the bars of the cage when you can make things so much easier?I get it, sometimes work sucks and youd rather not be there. But even then, choose to struggle, and that will be your experience. Choose to hate your job, and that will be your experience. Choose to fight against where you re at, and that will be your experience.You dont have to bury or ignore your dislikes, but you dont have to let that stuff dictate what happens. Just engage with it. Embrace it. Throw yourself into it, and youll create an environment where joy can happen.5. Follow the EnergyIts so hard to feel any kind of joy, pleasure, or even satisfaction when youre run down, uninspired, and unmotivated. So sometimes, you gotta go where the joy is.Ask to get involved in that project that youve been eying jealously because its looks like it really might be something special. Apply a strength or talent (creativity, empathy, aufgabe solving) in your work rather than leaving those things at the door. Or sometimes this might mean retraining, reskilling, or making a move into a company or a career that really lights you up.The point is, lifes too short to not experience joy in your work. It doesnt have to be there every day, and it shouldnt be something that you expect to be provided (like free biscuits or a 401k), but joy is something you can feel more if you only choose to make it a priority.Photo of Ford quote courtesy of Shutterstock.

Dep. Director HQ Air Command Lands Dep. Director, Financial Management

Dep. Director HQ Air Command Lands Dep. Director, Financial ManagementDep. Director HQ Air Command Lands Dep. Director, Financial ManagementDep. Director HQ Air Command Lands Dep. Director, Financial Management Diane, The hiring official told me I blew them away with my night and day performance. He still didnt say I got the job but sure sounds like I met my goal of doing significantly better than I had before. Whetherbei I get the job or not, I have you to thank for getting me off the dime and enabling me to see what I do from a different perspective.I just wanted to share my good news with you Finally after +6 months, I welches notified this week that I got the SES job that I applied for. I have your assist to thank for my big turnaround from my first SES interview to the next. The feedback from the selecting official was I improved my performance 200% So thanks again for your assist in writing skills, interview techniques, and a change in my perspective about what I do for a livin g. What a confidence builder you are for anyone who has the opportunity to use your professional services.Date Hired November 2013Jobseeker Type Federal to SESPrevious Job Title Deputy Director, Financial Management Comptroller, HQ Air Combat CmdTarget Job Title Deputy Director, Financial Management, Headquarters Air Force Materiel CommandResult HiredWriter/Coach Diane HudsonStrategy/Process The client had previously interviewed for SES positions, but was unsuccessful in the interview process. She contacted me for interview coaching. I developed scripts to help her answer questions that she may be posed in an interview and coached her to build confidence in her speaking abilities. We help numerous phone calls and Skype calls to conduct mock interviewing. She interviewed twice more before receiving an offer of employment as an SES.