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Managing Up in Project Management
May 19, 2010 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Management Best Practices, Project Stakeholder Management
Managing Up in Project Management
By Stephanie Simon - Global Knowledge
As project managers, we are often working with a variety of individuals on a given project. Sometimes we are working with our team members. Sometimes with our project sponsor or business owner, a vendor or client. And other times we are interacting with members of the leadership team. It can be tough to do a good job managing all these different types of relationships, particularly as some of these individuals are more senior to us in the organization.
You sometimes hear people talk about “Managing Down,” or managing those people who are subordinate to you, like your staff. But we don’t often talk about the importance of “Managing Up,” or managing the relationships with those senior to you. Managing Up is challenging. We are often intimidated by rank and authority, and rightly so if the person has the ability to fire you.
A key to managing those senior to you is to develop a positive working relationship based on trust. Demonstrate early on that you are competent and trustworthy, and follow through and deliver on what is expected of you. These are good first steps to building the relationship. Communicate regularly and be sure you are honest in your communication. Don’t try to hide the bad news; it will come out eventually, and hiding the information will erode trust and rapport. Take the time to get to know all the individuals you are working with, even if you are working remotely. They will appreciate you asking them something about themselves, and understanding more about the other person will help you with both Managing Up and Managing Down.
When Managing Up, take the time to find out what is important to those senior to you and what their priorities are. Be sure to understand what their expectations are of you and the project. Keep this information in the forefront of your mind. Learn how to work through disagreements with those individuals who have seniority. It is OK to disagree. Be prepared and have your facts and figures ready. Be able to clearly explain what is in the best interest of the project and why. Also take the time to listen and understand differences of opinion. If you have developed a good working relationship, you will be better able to work through these differences and find the best solution for the project. When all else fails, try humor — but use it judiciously. I often find humor works to build relationships and ease tension.
Remember what the impact will be if you yield to authority at all times. You will be struggling to bring your project in on time, on budget, and within the desired scope. Although it is challenging, make sure to keep in mind the importance of Managing Up throughout the project. Look for opportunities to build relationships. Make a conscience effort to work with a variety of individual styles and priorities. And look for good role models! They are out there. And you will notice their careers progress, because relationships do matter.
Stephanie Simon, MHA, PMP is a training and project management consultant. She has over 15 years of experience in managing projects, mentoring, consulting, and teaching project management and professional skills courses. Stephanie has worked primarily in the health care and pharmaceutical industries for companies such as Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and GlaxoSmithKline. She has managed increasingly complex projects working with geographically dispersed, cross-functional teams. She teaches and utilizes tools, methodologies, and best practices in project management. Stephanie has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Washington. She enjoys building collaborative working relationships and developing high performing teams.
Global Knowledge delivers comprehensive hands-on project management, business process, and professional skills training. Visit our online Knowledge Center at www.globalknowledge.com/business for free white papers, webinars, and more.
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