Managing Up: The Art of Making Your Boss Look Good (While Getting What You Need)

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Here's something that'll ruffle feathers: most people are absolutely terrible at managing up, and it's costing them promotions, pay rises, and basic workplace sanity. After seventeen years of watching ambitious professionals crash and burn because they couldn't figure out how to work WITH their boss instead of against them, I'm convinced this is the most undervalued skill in Australian business.

The problem? Everyone thinks managing up means sucking up. Wrong.

Managing up is strategic relationship management. It's about understanding what makes your boss tick, what keeps them awake at night, and how you can position yourself as the solution to their problems rather than another item on their endless to-do list.

Let me tell you about Sarah. Brilliant marketing manager at a mid-sized Perth firm. Creative, hardworking, gets results. But she spent three years butting heads with her director because she couldn't read the room. Every meeting, she'd present these elaborate campaigns with flashy presentations, talking about brand synergy and customer journey optimisation.

Her boss just wanted to know three things: Will this increase revenue? By how much? And when?

Sarah thought her boss was a philistine who didn't appreciate creativity. Her boss thought Sarah was all fluff and no substance. Both were wrong, but Sarah was the one missing out on opportunities.

Know Your Boss's Communication Style

This is where most people get it spectacularly wrong. They communicate the way THEY prefer to receive information, not the way their boss processes it best.

Some managers are detail people. They want the spreadsheets, the backup data, the contingency plans. Others are big-picture types who glaze over if you mention anything more specific than quarterly targets.

I once worked with a CEO who made every decision based on gut instinct and personal relationships. Brilliant businessman, but if you walked into his office with a PowerPoint deck, you'd lost him before slide two. He wanted to hear stories, not statistics.

Figure out if your boss is a morning person or an afternoon person. Do they prefer email, phone calls, or face-to-face conversations? Are they processors who need time to think, or quick decision-makers who want answers on the spot?

This isn't rocket science, but 68% of professionals I've surveyed admit they've never consciously observed their manager's preferred communication patterns. That's like trying to dance with someone while ignoring the music.

Anticipate Problems Before They Land on Their Desk

Here's where the real value lies. Anyone can execute tasks. Few people can think ahead and solve problems before they become urgent.

Your boss is juggling ten different priorities you probably don't even know about. Board meetings, budget pressures, staffing issues, compliance requirements, strategic planning sessions that run until 8 PM on a Friday. The last thing they need is surprises.

When I was working in Melbourne's corporate sector back in 2016 (different industry, same principles), I made it my business to understand our client cycles, seasonal patterns, and operational bottlenecks. While my colleagues were reactive, I was sending my manager weekly updates highlighting potential issues three weeks before they materialised.

Did it take extra work? Absolutely. But it positioned me as someone who made their job easier, not harder.

The key is developing what I call "systems thinking." Don't just focus on your own deliverables. Understand how your work connects to other departments, external partners, and overall business objectives. When the finance team is struggling with month-end reporting, and you know your project data feeds into their process, reach out proactively.

Present Solutions, Not Just Problems

This one drives me mental. How many times have you seen someone walk into their boss's office and say, "We have a problem with the Johnson account"?

Stop. Right. There.

Instead: "We have a situation with the Johnson account. I've identified three potential approaches, and here's my recommendation."

Always come with options. Even if you strongly favour one solution, present alternatives. It shows you've thought things through and gives your manager agency in the decision-making process.

I learned this the hard way during my early consulting days. I'd identified a major process inefficiency at a client's Brisbane operation but presented it as a crisis requiring immediate intervention. The GM felt blindsided and defensive. Six months later, nothing had changed.

Different approach with a similar client: "I've noticed something that could be costing us productivity. Here are the numbers, three ways we could address it, and my recommendation for a pilot program that would test the solution with minimal risk."

Pilot program was approved within a week.

Make Them Look Good Publicly

This is where managing up becomes genuinely strategic. Your boss's success creates opportunities for your success. Their reputation in the organisation directly impacts your career trajectory.

Look for opportunities to highlight their good decisions in public forums. Team meetings, company newsletters, client presentations. Not in a sycophantic way – that's transparent and embarrassing for everyone involved. But genuine credit where credit is due.

"This approach works because [Boss's name] recognised early on that customer retention was more valuable than acquisition in our market segment."

"The project timeline [Boss's name] suggested allowed us to deliver ahead of schedule and under budget."

You're not diminishing your own contributions. You're demonstrating that you understand business is a team sport and that success is shared. Smart managers notice this behaviour and remember it when promotion opportunities arise.

Understand Their Pressure Points

Every manager has aspects of their job that stress them out disproportionately. Maybe it's board presentations, maybe it's difficult clients, maybe it's managing underperformers.

Pay attention to what makes your boss tense or frustrated. Then position yourself as someone who can help alleviate that pressure.

If they hate dealing with technical issues, become the person who can translate complex problems into simple business language. If they struggle with presentations, offer to help with slide design or data visualisation. If they're drowning in administrative tasks, volunteer to take on some of the coordination work.

This isn't about becoming a personal assistant. It's about strategic positioning. You're demonstrating value beyond your core job requirements while making yourself indispensable.

The Feedback Loop That Changes Everything

Here's something most people never do: ask your boss how they prefer to receive updates and feedback from you.

Seriously. Just ask.

"I want to make sure I'm communicating with you in the most effective way. What format works best for project updates? How often would you like status reports? Are there particular areas where you want more detail?"

This simple conversation can transform your working relationship. It shows initiative, professionalism, and genuine interest in working collaboratively.

I've seen managers light up when employees ask these questions. Most people just assume their boss wants daily email updates or weekly meetings without ever checking if that's actually helpful or necessary.

When Managing Up Goes Wrong

Not every boss is manageable. I've worked with narcissists, micromanagers, and people who were fundamentally incompetent. In those situations, managing up becomes damage control rather than career advancement.

The key is recognising when you're dealing with a systemic problem versus a communication or relationship issue that can be addressed through better managing up techniques.

If your boss takes credit for your work, throws you under the bus in meetings, or creates a hostile work environment, no amount of strategic communication will fix that. Those are character issues, not management style differences.

But before you write off your boss as impossible, honestly evaluate whether you've tried understanding their perspective and adapting your approach accordingly.

Managing up isn't about manipulation or office politics. It's about professional maturity and strategic thinking. It's recognising that your success is tied to your manager's success, and working intelligently within that reality.

The professionals who master this skill don't just get promoted faster – they enjoy their work more, experience less stress, and build stronger professional relationships throughout their careers.

Most importantly, they never have to wonder why their brilliant ideas keep getting ignored or why less talented colleagues seem to advance more quickly.

Because they understand something fundamental about workplace dynamics: it's not just what you do, it's how you position what you do within the broader context of organisational success.

Additional Resources: Check out Workplace Training Events for more professional development opportunities.