Managing Up: Advice for Experienced Leaders

Overview This article offers actionable advice for experienced technical leaders who want to improve their ability to manage up-building strong relationships with senior executives, aligning priorities, and driving impact without overstepping boundaries.

Key Takeaways

• Understand the motivations and pressures of senior leaders to tailor your communication.
• Use data and outcomes to frame requests, making them win-win proposals.
• Build trust through consistent delivery and proactive problem solving.
• Leverage informal channels and timing to increase influence.
• Balance advocacy for your team with the broader organizational goals.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers and directors looking to increase their strategic impact.
• Senior individual contributors transitioning to leadership roles.
• Leaders who feel stuck in communicating with executives.
• Anyone aiming to align team work with company objectives.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• The "Influence Ladder" model for escalating ideas.
• Structured stakeholder mapping to identify key decision makers.
• Data-first communication framework.