Managing Up Is Just As Important As Managing Down

As a radio programmer these days, you have your hands more than full wearing lots of proverbial hats, more than likely for more than one station. With those hats comes supervision from multiple tiers of management – Market Manager, OM, EVP of Programming, Regional VP of Programming, Format Captain, etc. That’s a lot of eyes and ears to deal with.

You spend a decent portion of your day (at least you should!) counseling and coaching your air staff, but now, more than ever, you must really learn -- if you haven’t already -- to manage up!

Regardless of how many supervisors you may have, your relationship with each of them is the key to your growth and success as an individual and employee. Not only does managing up provide insight both for you and your particular boss, but it also lends to increasing the positive culture within your entire staff. There are six specific managing up techniques I would recommend, assisting in the daily interaction of those above you.

1. Be open, honest, and prompt about communicating pressing issues. Whether it be an off-color on-air bit, a conflict between employees or a contractual situation with a staff member, make sure you are communicating early and often with your higher-ups. Obviously, it’s also important that your message is the same for all of them. Giving more details to one could be a detriment if you miss giving them to another. All of this is crucial to building trust, a key element in the management process.
2. Be prepared to bring solutions with you along with the various problems. If you think you’re busy, multiply by at least 10, and that’s how busy your bosses are. If you want help with a problem, it is always beneficial to have some suggested solutions ready to implement. Upper-level managers are beset by a myriad of problems daily. The easier you make the process of navigating through your issues the better. This will, no doubt, add to the level of confidence those above you have in your ability to manage and solve problems.
3. Be very aware of your supervisors’ priorities and goals. They may not align with all of yours, but guess what? – they become your priorities and goals, too. Ask if they haven’t been articulated clearly. This shows confidence and support of the vision of the operation and your interest in helping achieve those goals.
4. No matter what, ask questions for clarity and context. If any of your managers has a specific task for you, make sure you totally understand what he/she needs because of your work. If you don’t understand, communicate enough with them to get what you need. Once again, this shows your boss(es) how committed you are to the success of your station(s).
5. Always seek constant feedback. I know most of us love hearing how good of a job we are doing, but it’s also important to know if you’re on the same track as your manager and if you’re doing everything needed to get the job done. Don’t be afraid to ask for thoughts on your performance. This demonstrates your willingness to constantly improve and stay humble. Ask for it BEFORE it’s offered.
6. Assume full responsibility for your department. Let your managers know that the programming “buck” stops with you and whatever happens on your watch is on you. Your bosses are curious to see how well you handle adversity with situations and with your staff. This is probably one of the top, if not the top, considerations for moving up in any organization.

Some of the best relationships I’ve had in radio have been with my various managers. These people will advocate for you, have your back and make sure you continue to grow personally and professionally. Think of the best relationships YOU’VE had with some managers. I’ll bet you did a great job of managing up.

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com