Facilitator Guide

Managing Up and Down

Facilitator Guide

Managing Up and Down

Topic: Professionalism & Communication

What’s covered

Managing up: being proactive
Managing up: building trust
Managing down: giving support
Managing down: making others feel valued

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/discussions/managing-up-and-down/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Managing Up and Down

A guide to working effectively with both supervising lawyers and people you manage. Teaches how to be proactive and build trust with those above you, and provide guidance and support to those below you.
Exercise
PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

What does it mean to “manage up” and why is it important?
How can you build trust with senior lawyers you work with?
What does good “managing down” look like in practice?
What steps can you take to make others on your team feel valued and motivated?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Professionalism & Communication topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.