COMMUNICATING UP

Understanding the Managers Style and Environment

Managers live with the same time pressures team leaders do, so any time spent with managers must be focused on giving them the information they need to support problem solving and decision-making.

To best carry out your management or supervisory responsibilities, you work hard to position and frame your communication whenever you meet with members of your team. By taking the time to plan and by thinking about the best approach for each team member, you ensure that your message will get through and drive the performance you’re after. Meeting with your manager requires similar preparation as well as the appropriate application of your communication skills.

Communicating up is not difficult, but it does demand that you temporarily put yourself in your manager’s place to understand his/her specific style and work challenges. Managers live with the same time pressures you do, so any time you spend with them must be focused on giving them the information they need to support problem-solving and decision-making for you and for the rest of your group or company.

Our experience has proven that managers who prepare properly in advance leave meetings with their managers with their goals accomplished. In addition, their managers are in tune with what’s really happening in the organization, and any decisions reached are mutually understood and accepted.

Team Leaders can help their manager make good decisions through good communication skills – alerting their managers to any problems or opportunities as soon as possible and taking full responsibility to make sure that communication takes place.

Program Description:

Communicating Up provides the tools necessary to align the individual with communication requirements of his or her manager. With its focus on preparation and clear commitments, the course can help even experienced managers build a more effective process for communicating and collaborating within the organizational hierarchy.

Most managers and team leaders realize the importance of upward communication, but few accept the responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of communicating with their own managers. Managers and team leaders will learn how to frame communication so that a desired result is achieved.

Experience has proven that managers who prepare properly in advance leave meetings with their managers with their goals accomplished. In addition, their managers are in tune with what’s really happening in the organization, and any decisions reached are mutually understood and accepted.
Communicating Up helps managers learn the process required for informative and productive dialogs that will be valued by more senior managers.

Objectives

Participants completing Communicating Up will be able to:

• Understand the importance of framing all communication with managers in terms of their self-interest.
• Enter meetings with managers armed with a well-thought-out and clearly stated objective.
• Clearly link their objective with the facts that support their plans and goals
• Work with their managers to uncover any questions or reservations they may have concerning the message.
• Move conversations toward agreement using questions that focus on benefits to be gained when the objective is reached.
• Clearly and concisely restate the decisions that result from communicating with their managers and insure that those decisions are mutually understood.

Participant Workbook

This workbook serves as a companion to the online program. Though not required, the workbook provides the learner with more information, exercises, forms, skill practice aids, and tools and resources for applying the skills learned in the course. One book is required for each participant. The workbook was designed for use with the classroom version of this course and does not correspond directly to the online course. It is, however, a valuable resource for practicing the skills and for reinforcement. It is highly recommended.

Training Support

Support for Facilitators, Trainers and students is also available by email, teleseminars, or webinars. If you have questions, or would like more information, please contact us

All courses are offered on a 12 month subscription basis.

To Purchase

Communicating Up is a 1.5 – 2 hour Online Course

US $44

Communicating Up Online Course Plus Participant Manual

US $67