Managing Up: Working Effectively with Your Manager
Managing up — proactively managing your relationship with your manager and other senior stakeholders — is a critical skill that is rarely taught explicitly. It is not about flattery or politics; it is about creating a working relationship that enables both you and your manager to be effective. Engineers who manage up well get better opportunities, clearer direction, and more autonomy.
Understanding What Your Manager Needs
Your manager has their own goals, pressures, and information needs. Understanding these helps you provide value in the relationship. Ask explicitly: what information do they need from you? How do they prefer to communicate? What are they worried about? What would make their job easier?
Proactive Communication
- Share context before it's requested — surface problems early, not after they've become crises
- Communicate what you're working on and why, not just status updates
- Flag decisions that need their involvement — but come with a recommendation, not just a problem
- Document your work and outcomes — managers can only advocate for you based on what they know
Making Requests Effectively
- Come with options, not just problems: "I need X to move forward — option A costs Y, option B costs Z. I'd recommend A."
- Be specific about what you need: time, decision, resource, introduction
- Frame requests in terms of impact: "this will allow us to..." not "I want..."