Ways and Means for Managing Up: 50 Strategies for Helping You and Your Boss Succeed

Ways and Means for Managing Up: 50 Strategies for Helping You and Your Boss Succeed

by F. William Smullen
Released April 2014
Publisher(s): McGraw Hill-Ascent Audio
ISBN: None

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Audiobook 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

  1. Open 00:00:23
  2. Preface 00:01:03
  3. Introduction 00:03:22
  4. Chapter 1: Believe in Your Boss or Find Another 00:05:15
  5. Chapter 2: Be Forever Loyal and Faithful to the Boss 00:05:04
  6. Chapter 3: Think of Your Boss as a Brand 00:05:32
  7. Chapter 4: Know More Than Is Expected 00:06:44
  8. Chapter 5: Anticipate What the Boss Wants or Needs 00:09:58
  9. Chapter 6: It's About the Boss; It's Not About You 00:05:09
  10. Chapter 7: Treat Every Day as Game Day 00:07:50
  11. Chapter 8: Manage the Calendar and the Clock 00:06:34
  12. Chapter 9: Never Wear Your Boss's Rank or Position 00:07:24
  13. Chapter 10: Never Allow Your Boss to Be Surprised 00:05:14
  14. Chapter 11: Never Sign the Boss's Signature 00:05:05
  15. Chapter 12: Get a Seat at the Table 00:07:32
  16. Chapter 13: Pace Yourself and Your Boss 00:07:02
  17. Chapter 14: Provide the Boss Some Quiet Time Each Workday 00:05:11
  18. Chapter 15: Send the Boss on That Needed Vacation 00:04:08
  19. Chapter 16: Keep the Boss's Better Half Informed and Involved 00:03:48
  20. Chapter 17: Accompany the Boss on Business Travel 00:07:55
  21. Chapter 18: Protect the Boss from the Adoring 00:07:36
  22. Chapter 19: Anticipate the Boss's Thinking and Decisions 00:07:02
  23. Chapter 20: Think Beyond the Horizon 00:07:02
  24. Chapter 21: Build and Maintain the Boss's Credibility 00:07:40
  25. Chapter 22: Be a Gatekeeper, Not a Gate Blocker 00:07:54
  26. Chapter 23: Don't Speak for the Boss Unless He Asks or Knows 00:08:20
  27. Chapter 24: Push the Boss out in Public When There Is a Purpose 00:06:53
  28. Chapter 25: Prepare the Boss for Each Event or Activity 00:09:44
  29. Chapter 26: Resolve Conflict for the Boss 00:08:30
  30. Chapter 27: Help Manage Risk 00:06:46
  31. Chapter 28: Prepare Now for Crisis 00:09:39
  32. Chapter 29: Be a Strategic Asset 00:09:09
  33. Chapter 30: Don't Hesitate to Tell the Boss He or She Is Wrong 00:06:13
  34. Chapter 31: If at First Your Opinion Doesn't Succeed, Try, Try Again 00:08:26
  35. Chapter 32: Expect the Unexpected 00:13:26
  36. Chapter 33: Inspire the Right Work Ethic 00:11:25
  37. Chapter 34: Reflect a Front Office That Is Cheerful 00:06:20
  38. Chapter 35: Impress Early and Often 00:07:59
  39. Chapter 36: Keep Meetings to 30 Minutes or Less 00:06:56
  40. Chapter 37: Provide the Boss Some Cover 00:07:20
  41. Chapter 38: Assume Someone's Always Watching 00:08:18
  42. Chapter 39: Life Is Not a Spectator Sport 00:06:47
  43. Chapter 40: Keep the Staff Informed About Requirements and Decisions 00:05:27
  44. Chapter 41: Help Disallow Threatening Behavior 00:06:51
  45. Chapter 42: Don't Be Afraid to Take a Risk 00:13:00
  46. Chapter 43: Build and Maintain Relationships 00:06:18
  47. Chapter 44: Every Problem Needs a Solution 00:07:06
  48. Chapter 45: Build a Comfort Zone for the Boss 00:06:22
  49. Chapter 46: It's the Deed, Not the Credit 00:05:47
  50. Chapter 47: Be a Conscience for Your Boss 00:06:33
  51. Chapter 48: Bullying Is Bad for Business 00:09:03
  52. Chapter 49: Have Fun Along the Way 00:06:41
  53. Chapter 50: Evaluate Everything You Do 00:09:39
  54. Close 00:00:47

Product information

  • Title: Ways and Means for Managing Up: 50 Strategies for Helping You and Your Boss Succeed
  • Author(s): F. William Smullen
  • Release date: April 2014
  • Publisher(s): McGraw Hill-Ascent Audio
  • ISBN: None