But the same fact remains in all situations: You have to learn how to manage up in each rotation.

And I don’t say “have to” lightly. You have to. Managing up isn’t something you have to do with only some managers. In order to achieve outstanding results year over year, you will inevitably need to manage up to ensure you and your manager are constantly in lockstep with one another. (One never achieves outstanding results without also having alignment with one’s manager and higher level organizational objectives.)

1. Prioritize objectives

While some managers are great about keeping close track of their team members’ current workload and bandwidth, many managers may not fully understand the complexity of some in-progress tasks or new ad hoc requests you’re working on. Keep a list of all your in-progress (and soon to start) work, and when you get too stretched and begin feeling ineffective due to an unmanageable workload, have a prioritization conversation with your manager. Help her understand what’s on your plate, recommend priorities, and make it clear that something needs to be put on hold (or transitioned to another team member with more bandwidth) in order to be successful. Your manager will respect and appreciate the visibility to your workload and will help make those prioritization decisions based on organizational objectives.

2. Take responsibility for decision-making

When an important decision is in front of your team and manager, don’t sit back, even if it looks like your manager feels he can “go it alone” on this one. Don’t let cynicism or any negative feelings of whatever-they-don’t-want-my-opinion-anyway get the best of you. Leadership is having a sense of responsibility for the organization’s best interests. Make sure your manager knows all the important facts in front of him and the team, and influence the decision. Your knowledge and experiences are critical. Make sure he’s aware of all the relevant facts on the table, so he can not only make the right decision for the team, but also defend the decision (whichever way the decision may go).

3. Address the gaps

It’s important to not only be aware of what you and your fellow team members have going on, but to also be aware of what you don’t have going on, that may be a critical gap for the team. Are you receiving similar questions from colleagues outside your team, which may indicate the need for more communication? Is a recently deployed solution being “misused,” which may require publication of application usage standards? Keep an eye out for gaps such as these, raise the team’s awareness of them, and take responsibility for them. (But don’t forget Managing Up step 1 above: Keep your tasks prioritized so you remain effective.)

According to Rosanne Badowski, co-author of Managing Up: How to Forge an Effective Relationship With Those Above You, ”Doing what you can to make your manager’s job easier will not only help them do their job, but you will be considered a valuable asset to your manager and to your organization.” Start today.

More resources:

• Book: Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around
• Book: Managing Up (Pocket Mentor)
• Blog post: “7 ways to manage up“
• Blog post: “What It Means to ‘Manage Up’“

How has managing up helped your job and career?

A little IT Millennial trivia tidbit: I was home schooled, and besides for taking an ISTEP exam or two in elementary school, I’ve been able to dodge and weave through every other standardized test out there, including the SAT. (That kind of dodging takes serious skill! And by the way, I’ve done just fine.) But there was no avoiding the GMAT at this juncture, unless I was willing to wait a few more years to waive this one too, based on management experience. I instead decided to take the leap.

I was determined to not stress out about the exam. Though I wouldn’t consider it a completely stress-free experience, I was actually able to go through this multiple-month process without too much angst. So I thought I’d share my methodology with you (as simplistic as it may sound) in case you’re considering the same.

1. Take a diagnostic exam early

I needed to know where to start, from a studying perspective (note: start early, months and months in advance). But the only way to know where to start was to first know my weakness(es), and the only way to discover my weaknesses was to take a diagnostic exam. I borrowed a great book from the library called The Official Guide for GMAT Review, which includes a paper-based diagnostic test at the beginning of the book. After completing the test, the book will guide you on how your answers scored, and where you may need to focus when studying (Quantitative, Verbal, etc).

2. Get specific study guide(s)

So, in my case, I rocked the Verbal section of the diagnostic exam, but… well… did the opposite of rock the Quantitative section. (Math and I don’t get along very well.) While The Official Guide for GMAT Review is an okay general study guide, I found it just didn’t dive deep enough into any one particular area to truly improve my performance in my area of weakness. So I purchased an excellent workbook that focused specifically on that section: Barron’s GMAT Math Workbook. Best purchase under $10 that I’ve ever made. It provided detailed reviews and practice problems not only of the various math rules and formulas I needed, but also included details on the different question types (like Data Sufficiency). I’d recommend this workbook to anyone, and I’m sure there are similar workbooks for the Verbal section as well.

3. Take practice exams for timing

If you’re already using detailed study guides and workbooks, it may feel redundant to use the free GMATPrep software you get when you register for the exam. However, I highly recommend taking the practice exams in the software, if for nothing else to practice timing. The workbooks are great for learning the material, but they don’t help much when it comes to pacing yourself during the real-deal exam. Take the timed exams in the GMATPrep software to make sure you’re pacing yourself adequately. It’s incredibly important to not allow yourself to run out of time in any given section of the GMAT, as you aren’t penalized for answering a question incorrectly as much as you’re penalized for leaving some completely blank. (Remember: You can’t skip any questions in the GMAT.)

4. Get plenty of sleep the night before

At this point, you’ve worked hard. Skip the late night cramming the night before the exam. Eat a dinner that will leave you waking up feeling good the next day, and go to bed with plenty of time to get a good night’s sleep. If you’re anything like me, you just can’t focus and concentrate nearly as well when you’re tired. Give your months of studying the credit it deserves and take the exam well rested. You’ll be glad you did.

Even with the kind of mindset described above, it’s impossible not to stress the week before, with all the last minute studying that inevitably will occur. But all-in-all, taking a methodical, planned approach to preparing for the GMAT kept the process surprisingly low-stress, and made for an overall positive experience.

Have you already taken the GMAT? Do you have any prep tips that stood out for you?

A checklist. It fixes pretty much anything.

Feeling frazzled and bombarded with endless To-Do’s?

Create a very specific, itemized checklist. I find that doing this the old-fashioned way, with an honest-to-goodness pen and notebook paper, makes the to-do’s “stick.” As soon as I have the tasks written down — eliminating the possibility of forgetting any, easing my brain and failing memory — I already feel calm, having reduced the burden weighing heavily on me to remember each little detail (besides the fact that it’s oh-so-satisfying to pen a checkmark with a flourish). Now it’s time to focus and finish.

Feeling overwhelmed and overloaded?

Now that the checklist is written, do you get queasy as you unroll and unroll the lengthy scroll? Sit down, take a deep breath, acknowledge that you’re human, and don’t forget that work isn’t your entire life. Prioritize those checklist items. Are any items in the urgent and important quadrant? Priority #1. Anything that’s important, but not yet urgent? Priority #2. Everything else, Priority #3 or eliminate it altogether. Remember the key objective of this checklist in the first place: Getting you to focus, focus, focus.

Have hard deadlines?

If there are critical deadlines to hit for one or more of the tasks in the checklist, it may be in your best interest to expand outside the checklist and strategically place reminders in other locations. The easiest thing to do is place multiple reminders directly on your calendar (electronic or otherwise). But sticky notes, pocket planners, cell phones, etc. all work. Do what it takes to — say it with me — focus, focus, focus.

What methods or tools do you use to focus and finish?

But holy crap, I’m a hiring manager now.

It’s what I would imagine being in an unexpected situation in a space shuttle would be like. (Okay, overkill, but go with me on this one.) Suddenly, any training or preparation I’ve had temporarily disappears entirely from my mind. And I stare blankly with my jaw loosely hanging from my face.

Then I snap out of it, get a determined look on my face, hear some triumphant brass music playing in the background, and become the hero.

So, now that my overactive imagination already has me pegged as the heroic, inspiring, assertive-yet-understanding, kind-with-high-expectations, we-should-make-a-movie-about-her middle manager, it’s time to get real. I’ve got the values of our organization in my toolbelt, as well as the expected leadership qualities.  Top Talent Indicators and Derailers? Check. Recruiter ready to send over resumes? Check. Now what? What do I do on my side to ensure the search for the perfect candidate is successful? Because, as much as my imagination would like to believe something different, this isn’t about me. This is about finding the right person for this job.

1. Make sure the job description is darn good

The first thing the candidate will see is the job description (besides the home page of the careers web site, maybe – if they don’t follow the direct link on my personal Facebook page) so it not only needs to be detailed and accurate, but it also needs to draw people in. If the candidate is going to be owning anything, leading or managing anything, be sure to tell them so. Most folks are motivated by bigger and better responsibilities and challenges. Don’t make the job description sound like a series of mundane tasks if there’s actually more to it than that.

2. Read – nay, memorize – the resumes before the interviews

Got some good tips in an interviewing training session today on what to look for in a resume, but then saw a scary statistic from a study showing that about 64% of resumes exaggerate or overstate what the person has actually accomplished in their previous roles. Ergh. So do look for good action words and results-based experience in a resume. But do also know which results you want to dive into further during the interview. Know the resume inside-out before the interview, so you can make the best use of the precious, limited time you’ll have with the candidate. Probe with additional questions where it makes sense.

3. Know what’s most important for the candidate in the role

There’s lots of criteria to look for during an interview. Plenty of leadership qualities. Plenty of Top Talent Indicators. Plenty of Derailers. And not plenty of time. What to do, what to do? Give some thought before the interview on what you’ll focus on specifically. Because, like it or not, you’ll have to narrow some things down to be effective.

For example, while we’re hoping for a candidate with Microsoft Project Server 2010 and Sharepoint Enterprise 2010 experience, what’s even more important is the candidate’s ability to learn quickly and apply what they’ve learned to solution enhancements and project manager coaching. Experience is less than their ambition and enthusiasm and confidence and drive.

And I hate arrogance. Hate hate hate it. No arrogant candidates allowed.

Know what’s the most important.

And awaaaaay we go!

What’s the most important attribute you look for in a new hire candidate?

But what fun it was to roll out a Project Portfolio Management solution to our IT organization.

The PPM tool we had before:
- A database table to keep a flat list of our project inventory and some metadata
- Fragmented who-knows-where content management repositories for project deliverables
- (Zero visibility to detailed project schedules and key milestones)

The PPM tool we have now:
- PTC Windchill PPMLink, integrated with Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 and Project Server 2010
- All project deliverables in easy-to-find repositories in a single Sharepoint instance
- Published project plans in Project Server with reports highlighting key milestones
- Metrics, metrics, metrics!

Oh man. People actually want to use the thing. A solution roll-out to IT that people want to use? It’s a rare and wondrous thing.

And so far, the solution’s been great. We’ve done a lot of learning, a lot of teaching each other, and now are looking to the next step in our IT project management evolution.

We’re going to be doing three phased roll-outs of capabilities in the PPM solution, with phase 1 having been completed in the first quarter of this year:

• Phase 1
  - Project Management
  - Content Management
  - Metrics and Reporting
• Phase 2
  - Resource Management
  - MS Project Pro 2010 competency
• Phase 3
  - Financial Management
  - Portfolio Management

What people seem to love the most? Actually being able to find the deliverables and dates they’re looking for, with a strategy in place to keep it that way. The biggest thing that’s tripped us up? Quirkiness in Project Server. We didn’t bank on having to learn and communicate so many tips and tricks to keep people from royally screwing up their plans.

It’s so critically important to ensure a phased roll-out of a PPM solution like this. If we had entered into this implementation with everything turned on, the change curve would’ve been way too steep and we would’ve lost customer engagement, buy-in, and embedment altogether. However, we also need to stay aggressive with our plans for the second and third phases, or we’ll lose momentum and leave value on the table.

And now that I’ve got this project in my sweaty little hands, there will be no wrangling it away from me.

What PPM tool does your organization use?

The biggest lesson learned this year: Enterprise Architecture really needs an annual project budget.

Most of the projects that make it into the plan every year are driven by business units, introducing new IT capabilities required to support evolving business initiatives.  But when presented with the fact that the SAP BW environment is desperately in need of both a software and hardware upgrade, the business units point at one another, not wanting to front the cost of badly needed preventative maintenance on a shared platform.

And I certainly don’t blame them.  A good friend and colleague of mine frequently uses this analogy:

A bridge needs to be built. In our current IT funding model, we charge the first car in line the entire cost of building the bridge. Then the bridge is in place for everyone to use… until the bridge collapses, at which point we charge the very next car in line the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.

What we need to do is allocate the Enterprise Architecture organization a certain percentage of the IT budget annually.  Of all the groups in IT, they have the most visibility into (and responsibility for) the state of the systems in place, supporting critical business processes daily.  What systems’ versions are lagging behind?  Which systems are running into performance problems?  What system upgrades are needed to provide additional functionality required by business units?

Not only should Enterprise Architecture have the answers to those questions, they should have an annual budget they can allocate to project delivery groups to address them.

So, we muscled in a couple system preventative maintenance projects this year, but hopefully we’ll make it easier on ourselves next year and simply give EA a budget to prioritize and allocate as needed.

Does Enterprise Architecture have its own budget in your organization?

But the huge gap we’re still missing is the difference between designing / developing / deploying an application, and designing / developing / deploying an enterprise application.

Who’s going to start teaching students the concepts of scalability, standardization, and designing for effective enterprise-level support?  Who’s going to start giving students a foundation in the principles of enterprise architecture?  When will students start graduating with an understanding of the importance of information security at an enterprise level?

New hires straight out of college are of course coming in with fresh, new ideas to push and challenge the organizations hiring them.  This promotes healthy evolution of those organizations.  However, when IS graduates are getting hired into Fortune 500 companies, there’s a period of time in which these fresh employees feel they’re being “held back” by silly, bureaucratic processes and standards that, at the time, make little sense to them.

But if a Ruby on Rails application is to be deployed, the IT support organization must be trained on the technology.  And globally migrating from an SAP NetWeaver portal platform to the open source Alfresco platform is a bigger deal than just moving documents around.  Large companies have technology standards and support processes, and this important concept needs to be instilled in our Information Systems college graduates.

Do you think this should be taught in our universities? Or should it remain on-the-job training?
College graduates, do you agree?

The most insightful thing my first boss ever told me:

“Don’t get good at something you don’t want to do.”

At the time, I chuckled self-consciously, of course focusing on the fact that it was a disguised compliment.  That I was actually starting to get good at something in the office, finally.  But from that day onward, I’ve been amazed at how often it’s come back to stare me directly in the face.

In the book Make It Work (Navigating Your Career Without Leaving Your Organization), the authors highlight sixteen career myths and also their corresponding truths.  Myth #10: You need to find a career doing what you are good at.

The authors describe the myth further by saying,

“The simple idea is that if you do work that you are good at, you will find greater prosperity and stability in your career. …Clearly, it is always a good idea to be aware of your areas of strength and weaknesses.  However, when your areas of perceived aptitude are the primary reason for choosing and following a career direction, you run the risk of not tapping into the real source of career wealth — your passions.”

And just in this past week, I realized I was falling into that trap.  I had stepped into the quicksand of success, of other’s praise and encouragement, and was instantly blinded.  It’s so damn easy to get blinded by the idea that you’re good at something.  It’s so easy to let that become the path to your life’s work, regardless of previous plans and dreams.

Truth #10: You must find a career doing what you love.

So let this be my testament.  Just because I’m good at translating words and ideas into pretty charts and pictures, doesn’t mean I want to be the team’s Powerpoint slinger.

Just because I’m good at navigating corporate politics doesn’t mean I want to become the next CIO.

Just because I adjusted well to outsourcing doesn’t mean I don’t want to be intimate with the enterprise technologies.

Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I’m not a total geek.

BUT, just because I love and want to be a technology expert doesn’t mean I can’t be an influential leader in any Fortune 500′s IT organization.

Do what you love.

“Options?”

Captain Picard never makes a decision in a vacuum.  He surrounds himself with people smarter than him, and consults these experts when faced with a tricky situation.  Everyone plays a critical role, everyone is heard, and Captain Picard trusts his team.  And through this trust, he earns their loyalty.

Standing up for what’s right

I think this, more than anything else, inspires my awe for Captain Picard.  His dedication to doing what’s moral and simply right is unwavering.  He could be facing the highest ranking individuals in Starfleet and still push back on orders, if he believes they are in any way unethical.  He keeps his cool, he stays rational, but will never back down from doing the right thing.

“Make it so.”

In Star Trek: TNG, decisions immediately translate to action.  Yes, Captain Picard consults his staff — decisions aren’t made rashly or carelessly.  However, once a decision is made, the sense of urgency is felt by the entire team, and Captain Picard ensures the decision turns into immediate action.  It’s strategy execution at its finest.

Keeping an open mind

One of the most fun things about the show is the introduction of new life forms.  Besides admiring the makeup artists’ work, it’s interesting to see the careful consideration given to each life form’s cultural habits.  And these cultures aren’t taken lightly.  Some of them may be what we would consider unusual, downright weird, or even grotesque, but respect and open-mindedness for new cultures is demanded by Captain Picard.  Nothing is discounted on the basis of not being understood.  The first aim is always to understand.

What leadership role model do you have (fictional or non-fictional)?

It’s a tool, to help you as a project manager understand and track the details behind a project’s schedule.  And the only value a work plan has is when it’s religiously kept up to date, and the resources, tasks, and dependencies monitored to a near-obsessive level of detail by the project manager.

From a time management perspective, a good rule of thumb is to either start or end the week with a thorough review of the project work plan, resources assigned (or coming up), and past and upcoming activities.  So my dear colleagues, I present to you a PM’s Friday lineup (and two whole days early!).  If a project manager can answer these three questions clearly every week, they’ll be champing the project!

1. What did the project team accomplish this week?

There are many different methods you can use to obtain status updates from active project team members.  Email, Excel or Word templates, phone calls… they’re all perfectly fine.  If you’re using Microsoft Project Server, they can even update the tasks they’re responsible for directly in the project work plan.  However, when using that method, be sure to keep in touch with them on the details as well.  You never know if there are any underlying issues behind generic percent completes.

2. What does the project team need to accomplish next week?

Never forget to look ahead instead of just behind.  There will be tasks that need to be completed next week, and potentially resource changes required to complete those tasks.  Will the project be onboarding a new team member for some upcoming activities?  Make sure your critical team members know what’s coming up, and who’s responsible for what.

3. What’s the current status of project issues?

Issues happen.  Be sure they don’t fester. Escalation isn’t a bad thing when used with purpose.  When reaching out to project team members on task status, include any issues they may be responsible for resolving as well.

Do you have a weekly project management routine?  Please share!