Global CIO

Managing your manager

18 August 2025

Oleg Weinberg, a teacher at CADD TAFE QLD (Australia), a teacher at TAFE QLD and a tutor at the Faculty of Management, a member of the board of directors of the federal Russian company Computer Center Key with 18 years of experience, held a practical seminar where he shared his thoughts on how to manage a leader and a team as a whole, and spoke about the motives and goals that may lie behind the actions of people in an organization.

Why do some employees easily gain support from management, while others spend years “banging their heads against the wall”? Often, problems arise due to misunderstandings of the goals and expectations of the parties. The seminar examined effective methods of interaction with management that allow achieving goals and satisfying the personal needs of employees, including understanding the “leading principle” of the organization, the psychology of decision-making, and effective influence techniques.

Almost every person has at least once faced the need to influence their own boss or colleagues. The reasons may be different: promotion, improvement of working conditions, salary increase, or the desire to initiate changes in the company's work processes. Successful implementation of such a task is impossible without a clear understanding of the specifics of corporate interaction and the factors influencing the adoption of management decisions.

The material provides practical tools for understanding the motivation of a manager and building effective interaction at all levels.

What hinders effective management by a manager?

We often feel obliged to protect the interests of the company or department. Often this is expressed in the tendency to give advice where it is not needed, criticize ongoing processes or impose one's opinion on other employees, says Oleg. Such behavior is perceived negatively and almost never brings the desired results. It manifests itself through an impulsive reaction to criticism or comments, an unwillingness to take responsibility for the results of one's activities and an inability to argue one's position to management. People in this state tend to expect support from outside, shifting the blame for failures to the people around them or circumstances.

The optimal solution is to develop a mature, adult view of the situation. This role allows you to objectively assess the situation, see the limits of the possible and realistically assess your own importance and needs. Only in the position of an adult can you correctly build a constructive dialogue with your boss. For successful management of managers, it is extremely important to be able to separate personal emotions from professional actions. A person in an adult position is able to competently analyze the situation, set specific goals and choose the best way to achieve the desired result. It is necessary to clearly imagine the real capabilities of the company and the manager, since it is this knowledge that will form the basis of an effective influence strategy.

Goals of interaction and behavioral psychology

When preparing for a conversation with your manager, it is helpful to formulate the purpose of the upcoming conversation in advance. You should ask yourself several questions:

• Why should I even manage my boss?
• What benefits will I receive if I achieve my goal?
• What specific change needs to be made?

Clearly defining your personal motivations and specific goals will help avoid confusion during negotiations and significantly increase your chances of success. Your interactions will become purposeful and rational.