Managing Up, Down, and Sideways
“Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors, care for one’s crew.”
As fundraisers we often feel isolated. We are not directly involved in program work or serving clients, and many times we are the only person at our organization with our skills, experience, and job responsibilities. We may even appear mysterious to our managers and co-workers.
And all too often, we perpetuate our own isolation.
I don’t have time to explain what I do and why it’s important.
Why can’t they understand that without me, the organization will go bankrupt?
Gosh, I wish someone would just say “thank you” once in a while!
I have said these statements more times than I can count in my career. And you know what? Saying them didn’t change a thing. If you take a closer look at them, you may notice that they are all about negativity toward others. Took me a while to figure that out.
By taking the action to manage up, down, and sideways, you can help others better understand your work and the value you add to the organization.
How the heck do I manage up, down, and sideways??!
Here are some quick examples:
Manage up by scheduling regular check-in’s with your boss, so that you can share your successes, challenges, and specific requests for support. Help them to understand that your work makes their work easier.
Manage down by making sure your staff or volunteers clearly understand what’s expected of them, and that you are willing to provide support/trainings where needed. Also make sure they understand that you truly want them to succeed.
Manage sideways by communicating–including fundraising success stories (and a description of the work it took to get there) in internal newsletters or staff meetings. Engage colleagues in crafting client stories or reviewing appeal letters.
It’s easy to integrate these tactics into your daily/weekly/monthly schedule, and they take way less effort than complaining and being frustrated all the time.
Do you have a special way you manage up, down, or sideways? Share it in the comments!
