I enjoyed the Managing Upward course and learned a lot from the content. The most vital concept for me was learning how to be direct with my supervisor and communicating my needs. I will apply this by tracking what my needs are and finding the best way to communicate with my supervisor. Based on my supervisor's preference I will do this either in writing or verbally. I do think it is important to prioritize my needs to respect my supervisor's time. And, try to present them in a group with solutions rather than one at a time. However, I also need to know when a need is a priority and approach my supervisor with just the one need.
Shared objectives and mutually beneficial goals are important as a foundation. I suppose opening the lines of communication is the thing I need to work on. I tend to keep discussion to a minimum and let the results be the discussion. Without this communication, I am likely missing a connection to more opportunity. So I need to work to strengthen that, based upon my manager's preferred style.
