[Podcast] Day-to-Day Ways to "Manage Up"

You have a big idea you want to implement at your company but you don't have the autonomy to pull it off.

You need buy-in from your boss and maybe even the next layer of management.

In this episode, Nicole and Jon talk through day-to-day steps you can take to "manage up" the ranks of the corporate ladder and increase your chances of getting approval for a new idea when it counts.

Show Notes

Nicole and Jon covered a bunch of ways to improve the communication channels and influence you have over the management of your company including:

  • The importance of knowing your boss's motivations and goals when pitching them an idea.
  • The importance of knowing your boss's personality to craft a pitch.
  • Why you should invite yourself to meetings where your ideas are being discussed.
  • A story of the most unique tactic Nicole has used to get a C-Level manager's attention.
  • Why search advertising is close to the perfect advertising experience.
  • Why you should never just bring your boss a problem without an idea for how to solve it.
  • The importance of trying to never blindside your boss with a problem.
  • Why being self-aware can be a super power when handling a boss.

It's tough not having complete autonomy.

But few people truly do.

We all need to get people to see the world as we do and the way it could be to bring new ideas into the world. You'll have a better chance of actually galvanizing support if you offer a problem that needs solved as well as solutions for how to solve it.

Take advantage of the fact that a lot of people like to be editors of ideas, not the ones creating ideas from scratch. Present a version one or a possible path you feel strongly about in these situations and we think you'll see more of your ideas becoming reality.

About the Hosts

Nicole Mears

Nicole is a former PPC analyst, department head, and product manager. She focuses on marketing and customer success.

Jon Davis

Spent years as a PPC consultant and agency analyst before focusing on making software.

Credits

This episode was produced by Max Bettendorf.

A big thanks also to 🎼 Music Flow Teaching for the intro and outro music, if you are in Central Oregon you should look them up for in-home creative music lessons.🎼)

Read more from our blog:

PPC Management
Scaling and growing your ppc operations
Product Updates
Recent product related updates and information from the Shape team
Blog Home
Chronological feed of all posts