Estimated Runtime: ~7 minutes
Managing up" has a bad reputation because people confuse it with brown-nosing.
It's not. Managing up is the strategic practice of understanding what your
manager needs and delivering it proactively. The best employees I've worked with
all do this — and it's the single biggest factor in whether you get the best
projects, the most autonomy, and the fastest promotions.
Every manager has an operating system. Your job is to figure it out. How do they
prefer to communicate — long emails or quick Slack messages? Do they make
decisions with data or intuition? What are they measured on — revenue,
efficiency, team satisfaction? What are their pet peeves — surprises, lateness,
lack of detail? Observe these patterns in your first two weeks and adapt
accordingly. If your manager hates surprises, send proactive updates. If they
value data, bring numbers to every conversation.
Implement a simple weekly update — I call it the four-line brief. What I
accomplished this week. What I'm working on next week. Where I need your input.
Any risks or blockers. This takes five minutes to write and saves your manager
from ever having to chase you for information. It builds trust, creates a paper
trail of your accomplishments, and positions you as someone who has their act
together.
Managing up isn't about pleasing your boss. It's about creating a productive
working relationship that benefits both of you. When your manager succeeds, you
succeed. Last lesson in this module — how to create early wins and build your
professional reputation from day one.