The Art of Managing Up, Down, and Sideways with Michelle Acciavatti

It doesn’t matter where you are in the corporate hierarchy. Nearly all jobs require working with people and managing up, down, or sideways. Today we speak with Willis Towers Watson market leader Michelle Acciavatti about the art of managing. Starting at the entry-level, Michelle gives tips on managing up and impressing the bosses by creating ‘presentation-ready’ work. A recurring theme throughout our conversation, Michelle emphasizes the importance of developing an empathetic viewpoint, thinking one step ahead, and trying to understand other perspectives. Linking to his and on the subject of dealing with unreasonable bosses, Michelle advises that listeners operate the framework that 99.9% of people are rational people. Empathy can help you understand their position. We then dive into managing down and why developing your team can free you up to do more tasks. We talk about the false conception that people need managing, when really, your role is to manage tasks, problems, and deliverables. Another key theme, Michelle discusses why teams need trust and honesty before sharing how you can develop this within your team. Finally, we tackle how to manage sideways, with Michelle highlighting the need to build strong relationships. As you move up, Michelle explains, having a strong team that can give you honest feedback is critical to your success. Tune in to hear more about the art of managing — these lessons will benefit you wherever you are in your career.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The three vantage points to consider when managing up. 
• Generating ‘presentation-ready’ work from an empathetic viewpoint.
• How to manage up when your boss seems like an unreasonable person. 
• Finding common ground and operating from the framework that 99.9% of people are rational.
• Common challenges faced when managing down and why no one works for you.
• Developing the people below you instead of managing them.          
• Why trust and honesty are key in developing your team. 
• How to build trust and honesty within the team that you’re working with.
• How not letting the ‘perfect’ get in the way of the ‘good’ can give you time to nurture your connections. 
• Why building relationships is the most important aspect of your career. 
• The importance of developing an honest team when you reach upper-management levels. 
• Seeking out people with different perspectives and skillsets. 

Michelle Acciavatti LinkedIn
Alex Drost LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

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