The Art of Managing Up

Andy Robinson
Jul 18
3 min read

Updated: Jul 30

The most significant factor impacting your level of engagement and job satisfaction is the quality of the relationship you have with your boss or manager. Taking ownership of that relationship and doing everything you can to make your manager’s job easier is referred to as “managing up.” Whether your manager is challenging or supportive, your job satisfaction will always be a function of how well you manage up and learn to adapt your behavior to align with your manager’s work style and communication preferences.

Below are 25 tips, representing best practices I have observed in coaching clients who manage up exceptionally well

25 Tips for Managing Up Effectively:

Understand their key goals and priorities; know what is important to them and align your efforts accordingly.
Know what is “keeping them up at night” and seek opportunities to mitigate those concerns when possible.
Know their areas of weakness and help identify ways to complement those weaknesses.
Ensure you meet regularly, one-on-one, on a weekly or biweekly basis if possible; once a month may not be sufficient.
Always have an agenda for every meeting you have with your manager. Share your agenda in advance of meetings whenever possible.
Always do your homework and come fully prepared for every meeting with your manager.
Anticipate their needs — be proactive and get out ahead of those needs.
Support their decisions, once made, with your team and peers.
Respect their time; always arrive on time; wrap up meetings and conversations promptly, and manage your agenda accordingly.
Be open and honest with your own opinions; constructive debate and respectful disagreement will build respect and ensure that optimal decisions are made.
Avoid assuming — always clarify expectations. If you don’t know, ask; if you’re not clear, ask. Confirm your intentions and next actions.
Keep them apprised of your progress on your goals and priorities; develop a tool to share with your manager that provides a mechanism for progress reports.
Avoid surprises! Share “bad news” as early as possible; keep your manager in the loop on issues and challenges.
Think and act like an owner; avoid blaming others; take full responsibility for important things that need to be done or followed up on.
Know their communication preferences, whether it’s email, phone calls, text messages, or in-person communication.
Know their “DiSC” style and adapt your style accordingly; it is YOUR responsibility to communicate in a manner that optimizes the effectiveness of your interactions with your manager.
Offer solutions, not problems; ALWAYS offer a solution or options for how YOU think a problem can be solved or an issue can be resolved.
Own up to your mistakes; apologize when necessary, and let your manager know what you will do differently next time to avoid those mistakes.
Replace complaints with requests; no one likes a complainer. If you need something, ask. Support your request with a well-thought-out business case.
Know their “pet peeves” and sources of frustration, and then avoid them whenever possible.
Share your appreciation and commend their “wins.” Positive feedback is always welcome and valued.
Uphold your personal boundaries and respect theirs.
Role model personal excellence in everything you do
Develop a personal relationship with your manager; know their important dates (birthday, anniversary, etc.); and understand their interests.
Develop a solid relationship with their executive assistant, enlist their support, and help them improve their effectiveness with their boss.