Mike Tarullo is SVP of Corporate Development at Venture for America. Mike has ran and managed nearly every department at VFA and most recently has focused his efforts on helping Fellows build companies via our seed fund, the VFA Accelerator and Innovation Fund.
Read on for his advice on how to effectively manage up and follow his thoughts on jobs, learning and startups on his blog “Outside the Echo Chamber“.
I learned a lot during my first startup gig. I was at a labor marketplace, initially as our first account manager, and then over time as the guy leading marketing, biz dev, and then sales. It sounds excellent – getting to wear a bunch of hats, lead different departments. And it was, from a learning and skill building perspective.
But, it was often a mess. My bosses (CEO and COO) were super busy, and didn’t really have enough time to sit down with me and hash out plans. Worse, when I did get something from one person in particular, it tended to involve lots of micromanagement and not a lot of prioritization. I figured I deserved to have a path for growth articulated, clear goals in place, and someone helping me figure out what to DO every day, week, or even month. Despite the mountain of work we all faced, sometimes I’d spend hours trying to figure out what I should be working on.
I was feeling lost – I’d been told to set sail, but not in what direction. I learned a ton – I still looked back at my old self every few months and couldn’t believe how much I’d grown. But I was watching my friends at structured organizations receive structured opportunity and measured progress. I was sitting there waiting to receive that (or, more accurately, having late-night bitching sessions with my colleagues at the bar next door). We had an external locus of control.
And, as usual, I was wrong – there was more I could do. I hadn’t learned what it meant to manage up.
On its own, the phrase “manage up” is corporate-speak, and advising someone to manage up is about as helpful as asking an angry person to calm down. Current articles on the subject fall somewhere between generic and crazy generic. I want to make sure you don’t repeat my mistakes, and can figure out what tactical things you can do to have a relationship with your boss that’s supportive and complimentary instead of adversarial or resentful. Managing up isn’t telling your boss what to do. Nor is it something that you do time to time. If you’re good at it, you’re always managing up.
Managing people is really hard. To me, managing up is really just lending your manager a hand with you:
Give them a menu
Designers are often aces at this – they’ll give you three versions of something. That’s a little intense for most of your day-to-day work, but whenever you’re developing something that’s going to require strategic and/or creative decision making, present two or more options.
Set and share your priorities
That’s your boss’s job. Maybe it’s their most important job. Yet, most managers don’t spend enough time helping their employees select and order their priorities (especially in ambiguous environments). If you determine what three or four key things you can accomplish in a given period of time (say, a week), draft that list, and share it with your boss to solicit their input. You can save them the trouble of figuring out what to do with you, and they’ll develop confidence that you can manage yourself.
Stow the big ideas
Do something yourself at least a couple times before trying to figure out how to improve it. There are probably some variables you haven’t considered until you get hands-on experience. Veteran input is respected for a reason – they have experience to inform their decisions.
Test your own process improvements
Big, meaningful changes often start out with lean tests. When you DO think of an idea to make something better, come up with the simplest possible test you can use to see if you might be right.
Check in more than absolutely necessary
It feels great to be wanted!
There’s a common thread here, and it’s a little counter-intuitive: checking in builds autonomy. If I ask someone to build a house, I don’t want them to say “sure!” and then drive over months later to find out what my house looks like. I want to chat for a few minutes to make sure we’re on the same page, see blueprints, and be consulted on important decisions. I want to know how much progress is going to be made each week. Not only will you make sure you’re building the house your boss wants, but they’ll grow closer to you and feel more trust in your work. You’ll learn their preferences, and maybe get some insight into their strategic process yourself!
If you’re really good at this, soon your manager will barely even worry about what you send over – they’ll simply trust your judgment, and still feel in the loop. They’ll forgive mistakes, too. And in time, especially if they’re a typical startup manager like me who never plans more than a week or two ahead, they’ll let you create your own path for growth.