Learning to manage up can change your life
Last year I was approached for coaching by someone whose work life balance had become untenable.
My coachee was leading a high pressure project with a tight budget, and sometimes worked 7 days a week to get things done.
This had been her work pattern since the Covid years, and yet she couldn't voice her struggles with how the schedule was impacting her and her loved ones.
Maybe you can relate to this too: compromising on your needs and values in the short term, then allowing it to become a way of life without challenging it.
What surprised me the most was that her own manager was calling out her tendency to overwork.
But his show of support made no difference to her: something deeper was driving her to self-neglect, even at the cost of weakening her personal relationships.
During a single coaching session, we unpacked the limiting belief driving her: that she was the only one who could do this work.
You probably have a similar reason to override your own values.
But my hope is that you will take the right steps to manage up, just like she did.
Here is what she has to say:
"I’m also happy to report my work life balance has massively improved since we last spoke! Between the conversations me and you had, and some prompting from close family, I finally had an open and honest conversation with my manager about the project I was leading and requested to be taken off it. I have been on 2 other projects since and they have been running far more smoothly. It was a small step away from my need to people please but hopefully heading in the right direction." - Coachee, London
It only took her commitment to stop saying yes to herself.
Now 18 months later, her story ends with a real "happily ever after".
She and her partner recently got married. So the foundation she paved last year by overcoming her own mental barriers to manage up paved the way for her to fully enjoy this new chapter in her life.
As I said, learning to manage up can change your life.
The questions is, will you choose to do it?
In 24 hours I will be sharing with you the secrets to Managing Up with Confidence on my masterclass, so that you can also take the lead in improving your experience at work through having a mutually beneficial and supportive relationship with your manager.
This is the last call to sign up. If you cannot attend live, sign up anyway and you can catch up with the recording available for 48 hours.
October Masterclass: Managing Up with Confidence
Thursday 15th October 12pm UK | 1pm CET
