Thread by @cblatts

I realized that I need to more formally teach some of my project staff how to manage upwards. Today I told one that "You have to treat any busy manager like an ADHD toddler who needs clear and constant instructions and reminders. Especially professors."

Upward management is an under-sung, under-taught skill. I spent a couple of years in consulting before I became an academic. One of the benefits is that I worked for professional managers who knew how to organize work and teams and projects, and how to train staff to be better.

So much management work in academia, social services, and other organizations is ad hoc, and never formally taught.

My message to Jr people: learning how to upward manage busy people is a crucial skill. Even conscientious managers are overwhelmed with emails & messages & tasks.

For example, rather than ask for a list of decisions and issues, I ask my staff to send me the problem, options, and their recommendations. Everything should be framed for a yes/no response. Or "No do c instead of b."

I suggest short emails and regular updates that need quick answers and can be answered in a taxi or between meetings. Long emails with many deep issues get saved for later, where later can mean "never"

I encourage people to remind me when I've missed something. I usually respond in 24-36 hours to everything. If not, chances are it got missed. The art of gentle re-upping is so important.

What am I missing? Other secrets and practices I should be using?

Some people have asked if this puts too much responsibility on junior people. This os precisely the wrong way to think about it. Why?

Everybody in an organization has to learn how to work efficiently and well together. This means inculcating a culture of effective upward and downward management alike. And effective managers teach upward management. This is teamwork.