Managing up

Managing up is when you are helping your manager manage you well. This is often because your manager has not been supporting you as well as you would like. This could be because of them being overworked, incompetent, or a variety of other factors. But the fact remains that you are not getting the support you need as an employee.

The goal here is to protect yourself. If your manager is overworked and he has to choose between a worker that makes their life easier or harder than the other guy, they will choose the one that makes life easier. Arguing on principle that you "shouldn't have to" won't matter when you are out of a job.

[W]e want to build a world in which people are more in control of their own destiny, so you’re not taking a subordinate orientation that says, “If only my boss would do these things for me.”[2]

Find others to talk to about helping you work best with your manager

Look around your network and ask them how they work best with their managers or direct reports. This could include people who have worked directly with your manager to ask specific questions, or those you trust and may have good knowledge or insights on the situation as a whole, on either side of manager or direct report (as many people are both).

Do not accentuate the power gap

There is a difference between understanding your limitations and feeling like the victim of a scenario. I tend to very easily assume I have no power in a situation and then just get mad. One way to make your manager less stressed out is to proactively seek out solutions that are within your abilities and power. If you have done these and there is nothing else, your manager will be more likely to help as you are showing initiative and will better understand your situation.

[M]ove beyond the concept of being a subordinate and, instead, being a junior partner.

[W]hen there is a significant gap between the most powerful and the least powerful, dysfunctional things happen for both parties. In the book, we say that “high power makes you deaf and low power gives you laryngitis.” When you have high power, you tend to overestimate your abilities and can be closed to influence, which can be very dangerous in a fast-changing world. On the other hand, if you perceive you have very little power, you tend to shut down instead of offering alternate points of view, which is really what is needed.[2]

Understand your boss's motivations

If you know what your boss needs and why, you can proactively work towards those goals and give them what they need to achieve those goals.

Just think of the job and how to be effective in it. How do you get the resources you need, the information you need, the advice, even the permission to keep at it? The answers always point toward whoever has the power, the leverage – that is, the boss. To fail to make that relationship one of mutual respect and understanding is to miss a major factor in being effective.[1]

Figure out the best way to communicate with them

Are they a reader? Or do they need to hear things? Always try and give both, but consider what is the best way for them to receive information.

Communicate early and often

Let them know your status on the regular. Things you should be updating them on or asking them about should include:

The status of current projects and any blockers
Any upcoming projects and any questions
The meta of your work (e.g. are you overloaded?)

Build on their strengths

Don't try and fix what they are bad at, but instead focus on what they are good at and reinforce that. This won't solve your problems, but it will certainly improve your relationship and also maximize the value you are getting from your interactions.

To answer the question: “what does my boss do really well?”, ask “what has she done really well?” Where is the evidence of what she’s very good at?[1]

Take those strengths and apply them towards what can help you. Let them do what they do best!

References

Last modified: 202601090234