Managing Upward Relationships

Managing upward relationships is the art of consciously improving collaboration with superiors so that subordinate managers can reap the best personal and organizational results. Managers share the responsibility for managing the relationship with the top management and Board of Directors of the company. Taking advantage of that responsibility will strengthen motivation, productivity, and overall life quality of all concerned. This course attempts to explain the dynamics of power and politics and explores the common grounds between two levels in the organizational hierarchy. Managers need to have necessary interpersonal skills required for succeeding in upward relationships. The focus is on the skills and strategies that support building positive and productive upward relationships and optimizing individuals' and organizations' performances. This course also offers the managers a common-sense perspective on how to keep their bosses happy, productive, and successful for their own success and for fostering a good work environment. This requires managers to learn how to cope with difficult bosses and how to manage their upward relationships.

The target audience for this path is senior level directors, senior managers of strategic business units, and advanced level managers. It would also be of interest to managers working in governmental agency or nonprofit organization where increasing business complexity places a premium on management having these advanced management skills. The course would also be suitable for those high performing executives wishing to take on a significant corporate leadership position.