Managing Up

You need your boss’s time, input, and decisions… but you’re often left waiting. You feel like you’re missing their signals - their tone, priorities, or how to actually get through. Worse yet, maybe they haven’t even told you how to work best to them & what they need from you…

You’re not imagining it. Managing up is hard.

This workshop is for you if…

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    You’re often unsure how to get your boss’s attention, or how to hold it long enough to get what you need.

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    You feel like you’re not speaking the same “language” as your leaders… but somehow you see other people getting results.

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    You’re tired of stalled work, your work getting redone, and waiting for clarity that never comes.

What You’ll Learn in This 4-Week Crash Course

1) Common misconceptions about managing up, and why most “managing up” attempts fall flat.

2) What has to be true in a working relationship for managing up to be effective.

3) Getting crystal clear on what language your leader uses and why.

1) Know your leader(s) and anticipate their needs, values, and concerns.

2) How to tailor your approach to match your leader’s working style?

3) How to frame risks, tradeoffs, and options like a strategic partner.

1) Reflect: What have you tried & tested? What have you learned?

2) Move forward: How will you adjust your approach to managing up to others in the future? How will you adjust how you ask others to manage up to you?

Approaches to test when things get dicey… like…

1) Two leaders can’t decide on the direction ahead.

2) It feels like you’re living in groundhog’s day & repeating the same conversation.

3) Direction remains ambiguous.

4) You’re not a good match for your leader.

Frequently asked questions

  • Great question - really it’s both! We know that adults learn best by doing, or in this case - trying. The format includes instruction, discussion, and activities. You’ll have a chance to practice some talking points & get ideas from others in the group to make sure this is relevant for you and your work situation.

  • Yes, delivery can be live & in-person if needed. This offering is embedded as part of our Manager Bootcamp, offered to organizations.

  • Yes, we’ll touch on ways to provide upward feedback in Week 3.

  • Sessions are recorded and you will have access to watch the playback. We are not able to offer make-up classes at this time.

    If this is a bad time for you & you’d like to be in the know about future deliveries, just email!