What is it?

Managing up is a method of career development based on working together towards a mutual benefit for both yourself and your boss. It involves understanding your boss’s position and job duties and making yourself known as an employer that exceeds both expectations and needs. Understanding your boss’s preferences, responsibilities and communication style. Supporting one another goals, and offering solutions to reach those goals.

What type of Boss?

There are a lot of different types of bosses and each come with different reasons and methods of managing up. You can have a hands-off boss, a micromanager, a boss who has strict boundaries, a boss that wants to be your friend or an apathetic boss.  Learning which type of boss you have and trying to understand the best way to manage up will lead to you being as successful in your role as possible! Someone who tends to be a micromanager might not react the same to managing up as someone who is more apathetic.

Why do it?

Managing up is a great way not only to advance your career, but also you’ll be happier and more fulfilled if you feel you’re working efficiently, communicating well with your boss, and doing your job in a way that makes their job easier.

How?

Understand the job you were hired for, work towards developing a position relationship with your boss. Get a sense of who they are, how they got to the position they are in now, their working style, etc.  Understanding their goals, objectives and the reason behind them.  Being a great Assistant means anticipating what your boss needs and try and help prioritize and organize to make their work more efficient.

What type of Boss?

There are a lot of different types of bosses and each come with different reasons and methods of managing up. You can have a hands-off boss, a micromanager, a boss who has strict boundaries, a boss that wants to be your friend or an apathetic boss.  Learning which type of boss you have and trying to understand the best way to manage up will lead to you being as successful in your role as possible!

Below is a great resource; author, speaker and coach Dr. Todd Dewett that explores the concept of managing up

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/managing-your-manager/welcome