There’s a lot of bad advice about managing up–here’s what to do instead
Look for career advice online and you’ll quickly encounter insistent claims that managing up is the key to getting promoted. Managing up is really important! But if you follow the wrong advice, easy to get overzealous or fall into weird relationship dynamics with your boss.
Let’s take a look at common-but-subpar advice that ambitious people get when they want to work more effectively and influence their boss (or higher-ups) to create mutual success–and what you should do instead.
Take on more work
Why you shouldn’t do this: You’re not a robot. You can’t take on endless work without burning out. Your work quality will suffer, you’ll be less productive over time, and you’re setting unrealistic and unsustainable expectations. Plus, if your boss thinks it’s okay for you work 12+ hours a day, that’s a sign that you’re in a toxic workplace.
What you should do instead: Don’t try to impress your boss by taking on unmanageable workloads. Set boundaries by being clear about your current projects and how much time they take. Explain to your manager that you want to focus on delivering high-quality work rather than overwhelming yourself with too many tasks.
How to say it: When faced with a request to take on more work, try saying, “I hear you that there’s a new project coming up that the executive team is excited about. My concern is that if I take that on without reducing my time on current projects, I won’t meet your expectations for anything. Can I put together a proposal for what my time would look like when I take this on, and then we can go through it together?”
Downplay bad news (sometimes known as “come with solutions, not problems”)
Why you shouldn’t do this: Sugarcoating issues or withholding bad news can cause even bigger headaches when the problem inevitably comes to light–especially if your boss learns about the problem from someone else first. Plus, if you hide challenges, you can’t demonstrate how well you handle challenges and the creative ways you manage through rocky situations.
What you should do instead: Get ahead of the situation even if you don’t know exactly how it will get resolved. You should be transparent and straightforward, even when delivering difficult news. Often, framing challenges as opportunities and bringing solutions when possible can help. If you can, take some kind of action to address the situation or understand the specifics before you talk to your manager so you can share those updates at the same time.
How to say it: Be clear and future-oriented: “The deliverable is going to be one week late because we misunderstood the deadline. I’ve already spoken with the project team. We’ve shaved off as many production days as possible, and I’m figuring out where the communication breakdown happened. I’ll have more info for you by end of day tomorrow.”
Prioritize your relationship with your manager over everything else
Why you shouldn’t do it: Having a strong relationship with your boss is essential, but don’t think solely about them and their needs. If you only care about that one relationship, you’ll end up isolated, with no one to collaborate with. Remember that you are part of a web of people who work together to get things done. The stronger your relationships are with your colleagues and the people who report to you, the better your work can become.
What you should do instead: Have regular 1:1s with your boss and with your close colleagues and direct reports. This will ensure that you have dedicated time to create connections with others in the organization, and you’ll be able to problem-solve together and gather information about successes, challenges, and potential stumbling blocks.
How to say it: Make sure your manager knows that you’re investing time in these relationships by saying, “Given the complexity of our team’s work, I set up biweekly 1:1s with my counterparts on other teams so that I understand their priorities and to give us dedicated time to work through complications.” And then give an example of something useful that’s already come out of the conversations.
Make yourself indispensable
Why you shouldn’t do this: In today’s world, every employee is replaceable. So trying to make yourself indispensable by handling every task or always being the “go-to” person isn’t going to save your job. And what will you get in return? You’ll burn out, colleagues won’t want to collaborate with you, you won’t have a chance to grow, and you’ll be stuck in reactive mode.
What you should do instead: Knowledge sharing, process creation, and delegation are your best friends. Give others the tools they need to contribute, especially once you’ve mastered something. By sharing what you know and creating processes that work, you can feel confident when you delegate. This will make a more sustainable workload for you and give you a chance to try new things. Plus, your manager will likely appreciate that you’re building others’ capacity.
How to say it: If you’ve owned a process or project for a long time, pitch a change to your boss like this: “I’ve been responsible for this for two years, and I’m ready to take on some new challenges. I’d like to train my colleague on it and then slowly hand it over to them. I’ll get them set up with process documents and spend time showing them how to do it. Once they own it fully, I’ll have more time for new projects. What do you think? Any concerns?”
Don’t push back
Why you shouldn’t do this: Agreeing with everything your boss says may seem like a safe option, but it can backfire. It stifles honest communication, creativity, and constructive feedback. If what your boss wants is a “yes man,” it’s probably time to start thinking about getting out from under them!
What you should do instead: Voice your concerns respectfully and thoughtfully. Take a moment to think before responding (or if you have time, jot down a few thoughts before you speak with them next). Back up your opinion using data or past experience so it’s clear that you’re thinking critically about the situation and not just providing a gut reaction.
How to say it: If you need to push back, try this: “I can see why we’re thinking of going this direction. Given what we learned last month about the unique difficulties of this kind of project, I recommend that we consider taking a different strategy.” And then tell them what you think will work.
Have a particularly tough manager? You don’t have to figure out how to deal with them alone! Sign up for a free, 30-minute discovery session with Vista Career Coaching to learn how we can help.
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