Managing Your Boss

Simon Carne
MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Three key themes:

 it’s not the manager’s job to make the relationship

work all the time
 try standing in the other guy’s shoes

 life is not an exam question: don’t expect to be given

all the data

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

The one piece of theory you

absolutely need to know
 Theory X: the assumption that people do not want to
work. The manager has to tell his staff what to do
and supervise them closely.
 Theory Y: the assumption that people want to work,
want to perform well and will be able to do much of
their work without supervision.

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Now turn the theory on its head!

 Theory X (in reverse): the assumption that managers

get job satisfaction from watching over their charges
and being actively involved in their day-to day
activities.
 Theory Y (in reverse): the assumption that managers
would like to leave their charges to “get on with it”,
so the manager has more time to do other things.

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What happens in practice?

 A fairly large proportion of managers gravitate to

Theory X
 An even larger proportion of staff gravitate to
Theory X (in reverse)
This leads to a mutually reinforcing cycle.

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Breaking the cycle can bring:

 increased job satisfaction: from having a say in what

you do
 a springboard for demonstrating your ability and
progressing your career

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

“The Three Questions”

1 What is the manager going to do with this work

product?
2 Am I giving it to the manager in the right form for
that
next step
3 If I were the manager, would I be happy with this
work product?
Sometimes you have to look for clues.

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What if the manager gets it wrong?

Choose from three of the following four options:

 suggest an alternative

 think about going back for guidance

 “I tried it but it didn’t work”

 do what the boss says and then do what’s right to save the day!

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Be a superstar and learn to:

 make molehills out of mountains

 listen between the lines

 pre-empt poor delegators

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Appraisals

 how to prepare

 what sort of questions to ask

 don’t …

– try to do a deal
– defend the indefensible or the unnecessary

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Managing in the middle

What are you delegating?

 tasks

 roles

 responsibilities

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

Communicate your key criteria

 accuracy?

 speed?

 presentation?

 …?

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What is leadership?

 never having to listen to someone who disagrees with

you?
 taking genuine pleasure in the success of people who
work for you?
 someone whose “presence” is essential to the smooth
running of the team?
Or not?

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

The right place at the right time

 The Admirable Crichton

 Outward Bound

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What are your greatest strengths?

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What are your greatest strengths?

What are your greatest weakness?

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MANAGING YOUR BOSS

What are your greatest strengths?

What are your greatest weakness?

How do you tell the difference?

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