Scoring Rubric for Managing Up (A): Grace

• A brief summary of the case (situation analysis)

To understand that to effectively manage up, employees need to do three things:

Employees have to understand themselves, - self-awareness

Employees have to understand the leader, - strong understanding of the boss

Employees have to build an exchange relationship - self-awareness, understanding boss will able to ask for and earn the support that is needed to meet his or her own needs.

1. In order to effectively manage up, what things should Grace understand about herself?

• How was the relationship between Landon and Grace in the early days?
• Why was their relationship so good?
• How would you describe their relationship at the end?
• Once there is general agreement that Landon and Grace had a strong relationship at the beginning that later began to fail, ask, What changed?

Career stages. As employee

• Establishment: When Grace started with the company, she was in an establishment stage.
• Advancement: The career stage where a person is more concerned with promotion and growth
• with promotion and growth.
• Maintenance: Employees gain satisfaction from having autonomy, guiding others and contributing to the development of the organization.
• Withdrawal: employees are more likely to appreciate a non-taxing consultative role that acknowledges the value of the knowledge the employee holds.

• Imagine you are a person who is thinking predominantly about advancing yourself. Aside from a promotion (infrequent event), what do you need from your boss on a day-to-day basis?
  • An employee will need coaching, challenging work and the chance to learn new skills.
• Did Landon meet these needs?
  • Landon met the coaching needs, but not the others?
• Can we see why the relationship between Grace and Landon started to suffer?
• How much humility has Grace been showing?
• What is the evidence that Grace is aware of how her actions might affect Landon?
• Is there any indication that Graces actions actually did affect Landon?
  • clients,
  • peers,
  • his boss and
  • even his own emotions.

Key Learning Point?

2. In order to effectively manage up, what things should Grace understand about Landon?

Leader Needs:

• What do you think the boss might need at each career stage?

Career stages. As boss

• Establishment: This type of boss will need employees who provide technical and psychological support.
• Advancement: Boss wants to make a name for him or herself and needs employees who produce good work that reflects well on the boss.
• Maintenance: The boss becomes less focused on self-development and more inclined to develop others. This boss finds satisfaction in sharing wisdom and experience with junior colleagues. An employee who shows that mentorship is appreciated can help the boss meet the needs of this stage. (This is an ideal boss for an employee in the establishment or advancement stage.)
• Withdrawal: More likely to want a consultative role, one that shows that his or her knowledge is valued. This boss needs employees who actively pursue consultations and demonstrate respect for the boss.

• At what stage would you place Landon?

Leadership styles:

• Charismatics: Richard Branson
• Thinkers: Bill Gates
• Skeptics: Larry Ellison
• Controllers: Martha Stewart
• Followers:

• What type of leader do you think Landon is?

Key Learning Point?

3. Should Grace send that email to Bill? What would be the likely impact on Landon? On Grace?

• Should Grace send the email to Bill.
• How would Landon be hurt if Grace sends that final email?
• How this might impact Landon in the long term?
• What happens when you go over someones head?
• How might this affect Grace even more broadly?
• Can she just move on to another boss?
• Does Grace hold low or high amount of power?
• Who does hold Grace or Landon high amount of power?

Key Learning Point?

4. Imagine Grace has come to you for help. Develop a plan for her to manage her relationship with Landon in order to meet her career goals.

• A strong action plan will build on the responses to earlier questions and will have three components. To effectively manage a boss an employee needs to:

1. understand him or herself,
2. understand the boss,
3. support the bosss needs in order to get his or her own needs met.

Key Learning Point?

• Discussion, conclusion, alternatives, and recommendation.