In this episode of Women at Work, Amy Gallo interviews Melody Wilding, an executive coach, about her new book, "Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge." They discuss the importance of managing up as a career-long practice and focus on two foundational conversations: alignment and styles. The alignment conversation involves creating clear expectations and ensuring both the employee and manager are on the same page about what success looks like, while the styles conversation focuses on how to accomplish goals together, considering different personalities and preferences. Melody provides practical advice, sample language, and questions to facilitate these conversations, addressing scenarios such as misalignment, dealing with vague managers, and adapting to different management styles (commander, controller, cheerleader, and caretaker). The episode also includes listener dilemmas related to managing up, offering tailored solutions for each situation. Finally, Amy Bernstein joins Amy Gallo to discuss her experience with alignment conversations in her new role.
