Mastering the subtle art of managing up

Here’s a simple 4-step loop that you can implement right away...

Most people work for their boss, but often don’t know how to work with them effectively.

It’s only a subtle difference, but the outcome is remarkably different.

They think career growth is about meeting expectations:

Delivering on tasks.

Meeting deadlines.

Staying reliable.

They are important, but that is only half the story.

After playing the corporate game for about 15 years now, with the last 5 of those being at Google, I can tell with a fairly high certainty that your growth doesn’t just depend on what you deliver.

It depends on who understands the value of what you deliver.

It’s like creating a phenomenal product without having figured out the distribution channel.

In this context, you &/or your work is the product.

Now, whether you like it or not, no one has more influence on that than your boss.

The problem is, most people don’t know how to work with their bosses or their boss’s bosses.

They assume:

• “If I just do my job well, my boss will notice.”

• “As long as I meet expectations, recognition will follow.”

I’m sorry to break it to you, but it rarely works that way. False assumptions will only lead to frustration where growth starts to feel slow, recognition is nonexistent, and opportunities keep passing by.

Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with talent. You can be the most talented person in your organization, and if you can’t sell your work, you are as good as any other average Joe or Sally from your org.

I strongly believe that knowing how to “manage up” is more of an art than a science. Interestingly, the phrase “managing up” makes most professionals uncomfortable. They immediately associate that with being political or manipulative, or even sleazy.

And because of that, they fall for a few damaging myths:

• Myth #1: Managing up = sucking up.

  They assume it means flattery, blind agreement, or becoming the office “yes-person.”

• Myth #2: If I do great work, my boss will notice.

  They believe results automatically speak for themselves.

• Myth #3: It’s not my job to manage my manager.

  They think responsibility only flows one way: top-down.

Imho, these are utterly false.

In this article, I’ll convince you as to why managing up isn’t about ego-stroking or politics. It’s an important career skill, especially if you are the ambitious kind. If you are reading this, chances are, you are a driven individual and that means it’s all the more important that you internalize this. I can bet that learning to effectively manage up is one of the most critical skills that separates people who remain invisible from those who accelerate into leadership.

So what happens if you ignore this skill?

At first, nothing will seem wrong. You deliver your projects. You hit deadlines. On paper, you’re performing.

But slowly, the cracks will start to show:

• Your work doesn’t get the visibility it deserves.

• Promotions go to people who “speak the language” of leadership.

• You get stuck doing execution while others move into strategy.

And here’s the harsh reality: bosses rarely promote the person they don’t fully trust or understand.

Without managing up, your career runs on chance, and that is not where you want to be.

But here’s a simple reframe: the ability to “manage up” is essentially leadership in disguise.

When you manage up well, you’re not flattering your boss — you’re making their job easier.

You’re helping them succeed. And in the process, you create more space for your own growth.

It’s not manipulation. It’s clarity.

Think about it:

• When your boss knows exactly how you’re adding value, they can advocate for you.

• When you anticipate their needs, you become indispensable.

• When you align with their priorities, your work gets amplified, not lost.

The best part? Managing up is a skill anyone can learn. Yes, literally anyone!

It’s not about being extroverted, political, or “corporate.”

It’s about learning a simple playbook and practicing it until it becomes second nature.

Here’s a simple 4-step loop that you can use to implement this in your job/role today:

Anticipate → Align → Communicate → Influence [Repeat]

The inputs are subtle. The outcomes are not: faster decisions, more trust, clearer visibility, or bigger scope.

Step 1: Anticipate — Learn your boss’s scoreboard

You can’t manage up if you don’t know what “a win” looks like for your boss. Most people optimize for their task list. Leaders optimize for their manager’s metrics.

Build a one-page “boss brief” and confirm it in your next 1:1. You can include any or all of the following in there:

• Top 3 priorities this quarter (in their own words).

• Success metric for each of the sub-topics.

• Update preference (Slack bullets / weekly email/doc before 1:1).

• Pet peeves (surprises, slide dumps, meetings without a clear agenda).

Key takeaway here is that anticipation is the first trust signal. When you know their scoreboard, your work stops feeling random and starts to feel more strategic.

Step 2: Align — Tie everything to their goals

Great work that isn’t connected to the scoreboard gets ignored. Alignment makes your boss an amplifier, not just an approver.

• Translate tasks into outcomes.

  “Implemented feature X” → “Shipped X to reduce churn by ~2% toward Q4 goal.”

• Use the trade-off frame.

  “Given the deadline, I recommend speed > scope. MVP in 10 days; iterate after.”

• Pre-wire decisions.

  Share your recommendation 1:1 before the wider meeting: “Leaning Option B (fastest path to retention target). Any concerns before I socialize it?”

Alignment turns your manager into your sponsor. If they can explain your value in one sentence, that is when you can be assured they’ll fight for you in rooms you’re not in.

Step 3: Communicate — Reduce cognitive load, kill surprises

Managers don’t need more emails where they are cc’ed on. They need clarity that accelerates decisions.

Use this clarity update format (Slack/email/doc):

• Context: what we’re doing + why it matters.

• Status (G/Y/R, one sentence): Green = on track; Yellow = risk emerging; Red = blocked.

• Risks & mitigations (bullets): top 1–2 risks + your mitigation plan.

• Decision/Ask (one line): what you need from them, by when.

• Impact (one line): tie back to their scoreboard.

Clear, concise, decision-ready communication lowers your boss’s mental load. Low load = high trust.

Step 4: Influence — Shape priorities without politics

Influence isn’t just having louder opinions; it’s better options and better questions. Done right, it looks like leadership, not lobbying.

• Offer 3-way options (with a recommendation).

  A) Fastest (hits date; lower polish)

  B) Balanced (recommended): meets goal; manageable risk

  C) Highest quality (slips 2 weeks; long-term payoff)

• Ask leverage questions.

  “If we could only nail one metric this month, which one moves the org most?”

  “What would make this a hell yes for your boss?”

• Make them look good upstream.

  After milestones, send a 5-bullet, forward-ready summary: outcome, impact, next step, risks, credits.

Managing up isn’t a dirty trick. It’s the difference between staying invisible and being seen as a trusted operator.

If you strip it down, it’s simple:

• Anticipate what matters most.

• Align your work to it.

• Communicate with clarity.

• Influence with better questions and options.

Most professionals spend their careers only managing down: their tasks, their teams, their timelines. The ones that are on the fast lane? They manage up.

Because when your boss knows they can trust you, when they feel lighter because you’re on their team, when they see you making their goals easier and everything changes.

You stop waiting for recognition to “hopefully” find you.

You start creating visibility, trust, and momentum on purpose.

That’s not politics. That’s leadership.

And it’s a skill you can start practicing today.

That is it from me today. If you have come this far, I truly appreciate it.

Comment below and let me know your thoughts about this piece and/or anything else you want to share with me.

Until next time,

-Raghav.B