Book description
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SUCCEED AT WORK?
MAKE SURE YOUR BOSS SUCCEEDS FIRST.
Today's typical workplace may be less formal and more inclusive than those of the past, but one thing hasn't changed: The boss is the boss.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, William Smullen spent 50 years leading--and being led by--some of the toughest people in the business. Over his career, he served at every level from platoon to division--and at the highest levels in the Pentagon, as well. In business terms, that's the equivalent of running a very small business to sitting in a corporate C-Suite.
Smullen's final public-service assignment was chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. As chief of staff, one of his main responsibilities was to ensure Secretary Powell kept his positive image and was successful in everything he did.
Now, he shares the lessons he learned working in some of the world’s most demanding organizations. In Ways and Means for Managing Up, he tells you everything you need to know to effectively "manage your manager" in ways that help both you and your boss succeed and rise within your company. In 50 short yet informative chapters, Smullen shares his hard-won insight, such as:
- View your relationship with your boss as a partnership
- Think of your boss as a brand
- Never allow your boss to be surprised
- Help your boss manage risk or crisis
- Be a strategic asset your boss counts on
Whether you're good friends with your manager or have trouble coexisting in the same office, your success depends on his or her success. This has always been true, and it will always be true.
You serve yourself well when you serve your boss well. Take your career to new heights by learning and applying the Ways and Means for Managing Up. It can serve as a survival guide, a road map, or a blueprint for people at every level in an organization.
PRAISE FOR WAYS AND MEANS FOR MANAGING UP:
A terrific book by one of the masters of truth-telling in the American military--wise, forceful, and a must-read for anyone who has a boss. My hat is off to Bill Smullen, and yours will be too when you read what he has learned over the decades." -- BOB WOODWARD, Associate Editor, The Washington Post
"Bill Smullen's unique experience as a member of the U.S. Army and as chief of staff for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell gives him some great lessons to pass on. I highly recommend Ways and Means for Managing Up. -- JIM BOEHEIM, Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame Head Basketball Coach
"Colonel Smullen has worked for some of the smartest and most demanding bosses in modern American history, most notably General Colin Powell, for many years. In this book Smullen offers an invaluable guide for how to succeed inside any organization. It is a guide that is both tremendously wise and, in some places, laugh-out-loud funny." -- PETER BERGEN, CNN's National Security Analyst and the author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 Believe in Your Boss or Find Another
- 2 Be Forever Loyal and Faithful to the Boss
- 3 Think of Your Boss as a Brand
- 4 Know More Than Is Expected
- 5 Anticipate What the Boss Wants or Needs
- 6 It’s About the Boss; It’s Not About You
- 7 Treat Every Day as Game Day
- 8 Manage the Calendar and the Clock
- 9 Never Wear Your Boss’s Rank or Position
- 10 Never Allow Your Boss to Be Surprised
- 11 Never Sign the Boss’s Signature
- 12 Get a Seat at the Table
- 13 Pace Yourself and Your Boss
- 14 Provide the Boss Some Quiet Time Each Workday
- 15 Send the Boss on That Needed Vacation
- 16 Keep the Boss’s Better Half Informed and Involved
- 17 Accompany the Boss on Business Travel
- 18 Protect the Boss from the Adoring
- 19 Anticipate the Boss’s Thinking and Decisions
- 20 Think Beyond the Horizon
- 21 Build and Maintain the Boss’s Credibility
- 22 Be a Gatekeeper, Not a Gate Blocker
- 23 Don’t Speak for the Boss Unless He Asks or Knows
- 24 Push the Boss out in Public When There Is a Purpose
- 25 Prepare the Boss for Each Event or Activity
- 26 Resolve Conflict for the Boss
- 27 Help Manage Risk
- 28 Prepare Now for Crisis
- 29 Be a Strategic Asset
- 30 Don’t Hesitate to Tell the Boss He or She Is Wrong
- 31 If at First Your Opinion Doesn’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
- 32 Expect the Unexpected
- 33 Inspire the Right Work Ethic
- 34 Reflect a Front Office That Is Cheerful
- 35 Impress Early and Often
- 36 Keep Meetings to 30 Minutes or Less
- 37 Provide the Boss Some Cover
- 38 Assume Someone’s Always Watching
- 39 Life Is Not a Spectator Sport
- 40 Keep the Staff Informed About Requirements and Decisions
- 41 Help Disallow Threatening Behavior
- 42 Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Risk
- 43 Build and Maintain Relationships
- 44 Every Problem Needs a Solution
- 45 Build a Comfort Zone for the Boss
- 46 It’s the Deed, Not the Credit
- 47 Be a Conscience for Your Boss
- 48 Bullying Is Bad for Business
- 49 Have Fun Along the Way
- 50 Evaluate Everything You Do
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About the Author
Product information
- Title: Ways and Means for Managing Up: 50 Strategies for Helping You and Your Boss Succeed
- Author(s):
- Release date: April 2014
- Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
- ISBN: 9780071826525
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