The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up

“This is a must-read for bosses and subordinates alike, as it exposes our flaws but teaches us how we can work together to achieve our common goals.”
-Ellen Coulter, President, The Advantage Software Company


What do you do when the biggest threat to your project is your boss? It's not that your boss is out to get you. In fact, bosses generally mean well. But clueless leadership from a well-intentioned boss can sometimes cause more damage than a criminal mastermind tying your project to the railroad tracks.

Lucky for you, the best project managers have got "managing up" down to a fine science. The reason is that project managers are often outside consultants with no formal position in the organization they're working for, putting them at a double disadvantage. Learn how tried-and-tested techniques from the discipline of project management can be used to manage five main "types" of difficult bosses. Dana Brownlee, certified Project Management Professional, has repeatable, reliable techniques based on years of project consulting, which apply to each of these difficult boss types. Your boss will be eating right from your hand in no time.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1. Defining the “Difficult Boss”
• Chapter 2. Defining “Managing Up”
• Chapter 3. Managing the Tornado
• Chapter 4. Managing the Wishful Thinker
• Chapter 5. Managing the Clueless Chameleon
• Chapter 6. Managing the MIA Boss
• Chapter 7. Managing the Meddlesome Micromanager
• Chapter 8. Managing the Naked Emperor
• Chapter 9. Managing Up with Any Boss … Even a Great One!
• Chapter 10. How Managers Can Help Their Staff Manage Up
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Author