A short guide to managing up
How to build and maintain a great working relationship with your manager
I’ve been incredibly bad at managing up all through my career. I became aware of this pretty quickly, but never did much, relying on my work and its quality. That was enough for a while, but my inertia to address this has cost me dearly, especially in more abstract roles where there isn’t much to measure.
So I’ve been doing some reading and improving on this, and have put together a short list of things that I’ve learnt. I hope they help in building and maintaining a great working relationship with whoever’s leading you.
Always, always be clear about what is expected of you
Get quarterly and annual KPIs in writing after discussions with your manager. This is not to catch your manager when they move goalposts, but because they have stressful jobs in dynamic environments too. They are trying hard, you can make it easier for them with frequent discussions about direction and goals. They will appreciate this exercise, and you will also have this as a base to refer back to in meetings and appraisals.
Over-communicate
Simple to say, but hard to do. Don’t assume your manager is aware of everything you are doing, even though you just told her and sent her an email.
Again, help them, because they have a lot going on. Repeat whatever you want them to know when you meet, send them a follow up. This might irk a particular kind of manager, but you can figure that out later. Better to do this than have your manager say that they had no idea what you spent the week on.
Be explicit about what you need
This is inherent in the power dynamic of a manager and reportee, that you may water down information or encase it in language that softens your ask. But please, stop being timid about communicating with your manager. You have a job to do, and the clearer you make your communication, the easier you make it for your manager to take a decision.
For example, don’t say: It’s been tough for the last 3 months, we need to onboard more resources quickly. Say: I need to hire someone on my team, otherwise we’ll miss targets next quarter. See?
Solutions, not problems/Requests, not complaints
This is simple too, but it’s amazing how so many of us simply forget about this. When communicating with your manager about a problem you are having, have a solution ready. Their job should be only to approve it. Similarly, when you are complaining about something, frame it as a request rather than as a grievance. It’ll be easier to get a decision in your favour.
Do great work
The first 4 points focused on how to do the communication itself, but this, point 5, is what the core of the relationship is built on: You have to do great work.
Managers are appraised based on their team’s performance, you know this. And the more you make them look good, the more opportunities for advancement and learning you will get. There is no shortcut to this. Put in the hours, do the work.
Notes - What I do well vs What I do not
Something I do well is asynchronous communication. I keep sending texts and ideas to my manager, and they appreciate the behind-the-scenes of how my mind is working. This may work for you.
Something I have not done well: I simply do not ask for help. I used to assume that more things were expected of me than actually were and would not communicate at all, driving myself into a corner. Don’t let this happen to you. Ask for help. Don’t assume your manager knows how much you have on your plate.