The toughest learning I’ve ever tackled across my career in HE has been this rather ephemeral concept of ‘managing upwards’. And I don’t think I’ve yet got to the finish line! I rather dislike the term, so I’ve rebadged it ‘vertical influence’ in this blog.
This is a tricky subject but one that I’ve been meaning to write about for a while. I’m talking about the first day that you find yourself ‘not employed’.
We’ve all been there – or will be at some point. It’s normal. A rite of passage that should be covered in all good careers training. To put this in context, most people I know – including me! – have been there. Many have been there several times over.
Every day, alongside the “official” tasks we are paid for, there is another seam of vigorous, necessary activity.
This is the investment in people, relationships, and unseen problem-solving that keeps teams, projects, and institutions from fracturing. This blog digs into ‘hidden work’ and what it could mean for us.