Is your approach to managing up keeping you on the path to success—or is it silently leading you towards burnout?

Early in your career, managing up may have been a checklist of tasks: writing a succinct weekly email, preparing 1:1 agendas, and keeping your boss informed. But as you climb the corporate ladder, this transactional approach needs to evolve, and fast!

A Lesson in Managing Up

Growing up in the middle of America in the 80s, my mom was a single working mother who often brought her work home. This was before laptops, Zoom, and the internet, so she spent a lot of time on the phone in the evenings—an actual phone connected to a wall!

As a 9 or 10-year-old, I often felt frustrated when she was on the phone because I needed her permission to do things like go on a bike ride or play with a neighbour. Interrupting her was a big no-no. So, I devised a solution. I would write a note saying:

A few weeks ago, I shared a post about the power of our self-stories—our self-narratives—and how they impact our work. The article explored the patterns, purposes, and possibilities for creating change in these narratives. Today, I want to focus on a particular storyline that have been emerging in my conversations with clients lately: the disillusionment we feel when our leaders don’t behave in a way that we agree with.