The Magic of Managing Up - with Marissa Geist
In this episode, Chrissy interviews her older sister, Marissa Geist, the Chief Operating Officer at Cielo, which is an outsourcing company for hiring. In this role, she’s gained expertise in the area of people management, both as an employee and as a manager of people herself.
In their conversation, Marissa shares:
what it means to ‘manage up’ and what it’s NOT
why managing up is a valuable skill to develop and how it can set you up for success no matter where you are on your career path
3 key principles to follow when managing up: (1) You can’t manage up if you’re super emotional. You have to manage yourself before you manage anyone else. (2) You have to have a point of view and at least one possible solution. (3) Supportive bosses can be easier to manage up, and bosses ‘behaving badly’ are typically harder to manage up.
questions to ask yourself to prepare for a conversation with your boss: What is my boss thinking? Where are they coming from? Where did this idea come from? Was it their idea? What is the intent? Can you help me understand the thinking behind this process / requirement?
the role of mindset, including why it’s helpful to understand the other person’s perspective and exercise empathy
why it’s important to provide feedback to your boss, particular if he/she is an emerging leader
mistakes she made as an inexperienced, ambitious leader, and changes she’s made to open the lines of communication with her direct-reports
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