Managing Up, Long Distance

For a large portion of my career, my boss worked in the main corporate headquarters while I lived and worked in a different part of the U.S. I almost consider working remotely the norm, and even prefer it! Working remotely requires skill in “managing up” – doing what you need to do in your work to contribute to your manager’s success. Some face time is still required for relationship-building purposes. There is huge value in seeing someone’s eyes and body language as they communicate with you. Many close working relationships start over lunch or dinner or in long business meetings where you are working toward a common goal. For almost 10 years, I only saw my boss when she or I traveled. She was my mentor, and many years later we remain close. Effective communication can take place over the telephone, and a regular appointment to touch base by phone should be part of your routine. You can analyze a tone of voice over the phone (“Whoops, I really ticked him off now!”), where one should not be read into the content of an email. Gather a list of things you need to talk about in between your calls, so you can be efficient and effective when the call takes place. Email is a great and horrible tool. But it is a critical means of communicating remotely. Always edit your emails before sending, especially if they are sensitive in any way. Remember, an email has the potential to come back and haunt you – in a performance evaluation, a disciplinary action, or even a legal deposition. But email is also a godsend. It allows you to carefully craft your message, organize your thoughts, and summarize important points on the record. Always, always, always think before sending. Status reports, submitted like clockwork, are a very important tool. Don’t load them up with lots of filler to make yourself appear busy. I used to organize my updates as “Accomplishments” for the week or month. If you have a long list, they should be grouped into logical categories. Brief, succinct bullets are better than long descriptive paragraphs, if you want your report to actually be read. Accomplishments are mini-goals achieved, not just how you spent your time. Quantify them as much as possible. (For example, “Executed and documented 5 out of 8 pending annual performance evaluations.”) Be thoughtful about your boss, as a professional and as a person. When they are busy and challenged, ask “How can I help you?” and take the initiative to do things you know will make your boss more successful. Remember, it’s not always about you. Consider doing something special to recognize your manager’s birthday or work anniversary. Offer your sincere congratulations when they have achieved a goal. These suggestions are directly related to managing up as well as relationship-building. Don’t allow negative emotions to fester. You can address them in a professional manner. A few examples: · “It’s important for you to know that I am feeling left out of what you and the rest of the team are working on. Can we talk about how I can be more involved from here?” · “When you said such-and-such, I felt as though I was being scolded and it hurt my feelings. I hope that was not your intent.” You can manage up from a distance. It just takes careful focus on communication and a lot of thoughtfulness. And you have to admit, there are many benefits to not having your boss looking over your shoulder all the time!