Strategies for Managing Up with Effective Communication

Doing your job won’t get you promoted; managing up will. There are 6 key parts of managing up to executives: 1. "Be bright, be quick, be gone." Executives are busy. Come to your conversations prepared with well-thought-out ideas, and then express them quickly and clearly. Then move on. 2. Avoid bad surprises. Managing up before a crisis is way easier than doing it after the crisis begins. Stay on top of worrying signals and keep the executives informed before things blow up. 3. Build trust before you need to rely on it. Trust is built through consistent delivery. Deliver consistently, frequently give brief updates on your work, and build trust before you need it. You will need this trust when you are trying to influence outcomes, create change, or recover from a crisis. Also, when you make a big mistake, you lose some trust. This is natural. The more trust you have built up to draw from, the less likely you will be fired or blocked from a promotion when some trust is lost. 4. Executives cannot operate at your level of detail. Executives need to be in a million mental places at once. Don’t be upset when they don’t know the details as well as you do. Instead, anticipate this and communicate the key points. Then, say you can give more detail where necessary. 5. Provide options and solutions. Let executives know what you recommend and why, what you do not recommend and why, what you have considered, what support you need, and when you will follow up. Bring solutions, not problems. Give them answers to the questions they didn't ask. 6. Do not go around your management chain. If you absolutely must talk to an executive without your manager present, or if the executive comes to you, loop your manager in as soon as possible. This is common courtesy. You don’t want to gain a reputation for going over your manager’s head.

A hard truth most people learn too late: If you're not managing up, you're not doing your job. "But I shouldn't have to manage my boss..." "A good manager wouldn't need managing..." "It feels like playing politics..." This mindset is costing you growth. Here's what managing up actually is: • Making information flow efficient • Reducing friction in decisions • Amplifying the team's impact • Building strategic alignment • Creating predictable outcomes Here's what it isn't: • Manipulation or games • Avoiding hard conversations • Pure politics or flattery • Doing their job for them The reality? Every leader has a working style. You can fight it or leverage it. One path builds connection and trust. The other just builds frustration. Here are the 7 common boss types And how to win with each: The Relentless Micromanager ❌ Don't: Resist their need for control ✅ Do: Proactively over-communicate Winning Playbook: • Send brief daily updates before COB • Create shared tracking systems • Flag risks early with solution options • Make your work visible and predictable The Volatile Visionary ❌ Don't: Lead with limitations ✅ Do: Connect to their bigger picture Winning Playbook: • Start presentations with "imagine if..." • Break big ideas into feasible phases • Bring solutions, not just problems • Frame constraints as design choices The Hands-Off Autopilot ❌ Don't: Wait for guidance ✅ Do: Create structure proactively Winning Playbook: • Document decisions and next steps • Set up regular brief check-ins • Present clear options for decisions • Build systems that run without them The Data-Driven Scientist ❌ Don't: Rely on intuition ✅ Do: Lead with evidence Winning Playbook: • Start with metrics that matter • Test assumptions with data • Show your work clearly • Frame decisions as experiments The Overwhelmed Plate-Spinner ❌ Don't: Add complexity ✅ Do: Simplify their world Winning Playbook: • Summarize in 3 bullet points • Solve problems before updating • Make decisions easy with clear options • Buffer them from unnecessary noise The Disconnected Diva ❌ Don't: Focus on details ✅ Do: Sell the story Winning Playbook: • Connect work to strategic goals • Package updates for their audience • Make them look good upstream • Translate execution into impact The Political Player ❌ Don't: Ignore the ecosystem ✅ Do: Map the landscape Winning Playbook: • Understand their pressures • Identify key stakeholders • Package wins for multiple parties • Help them navigate politics The Bottomline: Your boss isn't likely to change.  But your approach can. Learn their love language.  And notice how opportunities open up. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more leadership strategy ♻️ Share to help others level up by managing up PS - We've got a free workshop tomorrow on becoming more persuasive.  Join 867 leaders already signed up (in comments).

Managers remember just 60% of their team’s work. Take charge and make your impact unforgettable. A study in Fortune 500 companies revealed this surprising stat. Yes, managers juggle a lot and should do their part - But we can also do more to bridge this gap. It’s popularly referred to as "managing up." Here’s how to start: 1. Document everything. ↳ If your manager recalls 60% of your work, provide them with a cheat sheet for the 100%. 2. Create themed summaries. ↳ Don't just list tasks. Group updates into focus areas mapped to business objectives. 3. Be proactive (don't wait for the agenda to open up) ↳ Can't meet in person? Send detailed agendas and status updates via email. Don’t wait to be asked. 4. Surface the invisible effort. ↳ Measure and share time spent unblocking others, attending meetings, or wrangling inefficient systems. 5. Frame achievements strategically. ↳ Position your wins as team/organizational outcomes your manager can share upward, but also show your own growth. 6. Adapt to your manager's style. ↳ Learn how they consume information and adapt your reporting accordingly. 7. Bring solutions, not just problems. ↳ When raising issues, propose potential solutions. Aim to bring options, not open questions. 8. Quantify your impact. ↳ Use data & metrics wherever possible. 9. Look ahead, predict what is coming. ↳ Don’t just report on past work - preview upcoming priorities & risks. 10. Ensure alignment. ↳ Anything your manager thinks you shouldn't be focused on? Anything you should be prioritizing? Ensure you reach alignment. Remember: Managing up isn’t about ego or politics. It’s about ensuring your work adds maximum value to the organization. This is what guarantees our own professional growth. What strategies do you use to manage up? Drop your thoughts below! ____________ ♻️ Repost to help others manage up. 📌 Follow Jorge Luis Pando for more actionable insights.

Here’s what nobody tells you early in your career: Managing up is the fast-track to building trust, influence, and getting promoted. It’s a skill you can systematically improve. (Even though it’s often misunderstood as “sucking up.”) A Gallup study found: 83% of employees quit because of poor manager relationships. And yet, The best careers are built by those who master this relationship. 𝟭𝟭 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 When you communicate the way they think, you get heard faster. 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 You become indispensable when you’re solving the right problems. 3️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Proactive leadership builds trust and shows you’re ready for more. 4️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 Decision-makers promote people who help make decisions easier. 5️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 Staying ahead of the ask builds unshakable trust. 6️⃣ 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 Real accountability builds credibility and long-term influence. 7️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 Empathy for their context makes you more strategic and valuable. 8️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 When you make their life easier, they rely on you more. 9️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 Strategic thinking earns trust and a seat at bigger tables. 🔟 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 Complementing their gaps makes you indispensable without threatening their authority. 1️⃣1️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 When your leader wins, you win and they take you with them. Managing up isn’t about playing politics. It’s about becoming the person leaders can’t succeed without. Master this, and you’ll: ✅ Get promoted faster than your peers ✅ Build influence that outlasts any role ✅ Create opportunities others never see ✅ Become the leader others want to follow Start with one. Apply it in your next 1:1. ♻️ Share this with someone ready to level up their career 🔔 Follow Justin Hills for insights to grow your influence