Alignment Under Pressure: Managing Up in Volatile Academic Environments

In increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments, aligning academic libraries with broader institutional goals requires more than strategic plans at the top. It demands skillful action at every level of the organization. The ability to “manage up” is no longer simply a professional courtesy. It is a strategic competency that enables employees to translate institutional priorities into meaningful daily practice.

This session deepens the practice of managing up by integrating core VUCA competencies, positioning library professionals as active contributors to organizational resilience during times of disruption. Building on research related to trust-building, goal alignment, proactive problem-solving, and self-advocacy, the session reframes managing up as a dynamic, future-oriented practice. Participants will explore how volatility calls for learning agility, uncertainty demands proactive communication, complexity requires systems thinking, and ambiguity invites intentional use of institutional language and mission.

Through practical examples from academic library contexts, attendees will gain concrete strategies for aligning personal and departmental objectives with shifting campus priorities while strengthening supervisor relationships. By integrating VUCA competencies with managing up strategies, this session offers a roadmap for sustaining alignment, cultivating resilience, and advancing institutional effectiveness.