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Show Notes
Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge (Melody Wilding)
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXLSH6Y6?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Managing-Up%3A-How-to-Get-What-You-Need-from-the-People-in-Charge-Melody-Wilding.html
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Managing+Up+How+to+Get+What+You+Need+from+the+People+in+Charge+Melody+Wilding+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://mybook.top/read/B0CXLSH6Y6/
#managingup #careercommunication #workplaceboundaries #influencewithoutauthority #managerrelationship #professionalgrowth #workplaceconflictresolution #ManagingUp
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, Reframing Managing Up as a Core Career Skill, A central idea is that managing up is not flattery or manipulation but a professional skill that improves how work gets done. The book positions the manager relationship as a system with inputs and outputs: what you communicate, how you document decisions, and how you respond to shifting priorities directly affects your autonomy and outcomes. This reframing matters because many high performers assume their work should speak for itself, then feel blindsided by vague feedback, last minute changes, or invisible expectations. Managing up, in this view, is taking responsibility for the interface between your work and leadership, especially when your manager is busy or inconsistent. The reader is encouraged to treat clarity as something to co create: align on what success looks like, confirm deadlines and decision rights, and make tradeoffs explicit when capacity is limited. This also includes understanding incentives and pressures above your manager, such as stakeholder demands, metrics, and organizational politics, not to play games but to anticipate what your manager needs from you. By replacing guesswork with intentional communication, you reduce rework, protect focus, and build trust that can unlock better assignments and more support.
Secondly, Understanding Your Manager: Preferences, Pressures, and Decision Patterns, Another key topic is diagnosing how your manager operates so you can adapt without losing authenticity. The book emphasizes observing communication preferences, such as whether they like written updates or quick conversations, as well as their tolerance for ambiguity and their default response under stress. Many conflicts come from mismatch: a detail oriented employee working for a big picture leader, or a proactive problem solver working for a manager who wants to be consulted early. Wilding encourages readers to learn their manager’s success criteria and pain points, including what they are measured on and what risks they are trying to avoid. This context helps you frame updates and requests in a way that feels relevant to them. It also includes reading decision making patterns: who influences them, how fast they decide, what information makes them confident, and whether they tend to change direction when new input arrives. By mapping these patterns, you can time your asks, bring the right level of detail, and prevent surprises. This topic also covers the reality that managers are human: they may be overwhelmed, conflict averse, or inconsistent. Understanding the person behind the role helps you choose strategies that are compassionate and effective.
Thirdly, Communicating for Alignment: Updates, Expectations, and Feedback Loops, The book highlights communication routines that create alignment and reduce anxiety, especially in fast paced environments. Rather than relying on informal conversations and memory, Wilding advocates for clear check ins, structured updates, and confirmation of next steps. This can include short status summaries, agenda led one on ones, and written recaps after key conversations. The purpose is not bureaucracy but shared understanding: what is being done, why it matters, what the risks are, and what decisions are needed. A strong feedback loop also prevents small issues from becoming performance problems. The reader is guided to invite feedback in a way that is specific and actionable, such as asking what great looks like for a deliverable or what concerns a leader might have before presenting to stakeholders. Another element is expectation management: communicating constraints early, proposing tradeoffs, and flagging dependencies so your manager can make informed calls. This topic also addresses tone and framing, showing how to communicate confidence without overpromising, and how to raise concerns without sounding negative. When done consistently, these habits build credibility, reduce fire drills, and help your manager advocate for you because they can easily explain your progress and impact.
Fourthly, Advocating for Resources, Boundaries, and Growth Opportunities, A practical theme is learning to ask for what you need, whether that is time, support, tools, or scope changes, without triggering defensiveness. The book treats advocacy as a collaborative problem solving process: identify the constraint, explain its impact on outcomes, and offer options. This approach can make requests feel less personal and more aligned with shared goals. Boundaries are included as an essential resource, especially for people who overfunction, take on too much, or struggle to say no. The reader is encouraged to set limits through prioritization conversations, not rigid refusals: if a new task appears, clarify what should be deprioritized. Growth is another resource. Wilding frames career development as something you proactively manage by signaling interests, asking for stretch assignments, and requesting visibility at the right moments. This is paired with the idea of being a low drama, high leverage partner: you bring solutions, anticipate obstacles, and create ease for leadership. The topic also considers that not every manager is naturally supportive. In those cases, the book’s strategies help you negotiate clearer agreements, document decisions, and seek mentors and sponsors without undermining the manager relationship.
Lastly, Handling Difficult Dynamics: Conflict, Misalignment, and Manager Changes, The book also addresses what to do when the manager relationship is strained or unstable. Difficult dynamics can include inconsistent direction, micromanagement, lack of responsiveness, or a mismatch in working style. Wilding’s approach centers on reducing ambiguity and increasing structure: clarify roles, agree on decision points, and document commitments to prevent revisionist expectations. When conflict arises, the focus is on addressing issues early and directly, using observable facts, business impact, and a proposed path forward. This helps keep conversations professional even when emotions are high. Another common challenge is misalignment between what leadership says and what they reward. The book encourages readers to look for signals in how priorities are enforced, then to align their efforts accordingly while still maintaining integrity. It also considers transitions, such as a new manager, reorg, or shifting stakeholders. In those moments, managing up becomes a reset: reestablish expectations, share how you work best, and quickly demonstrate reliability. The goal is not to tolerate unhealthy behavior indefinitely but to build skills that protect your performance, reduce stress, and clarify when it is time to escalate, seek support elsewhere, or consider a change.
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXLSH6Y6?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Managing-Up%3A-How-to-Get-What-You-Need-from-the-People-in-Charge-Melody-Wilding.html
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Managing+Up+How+to+Get+What+You+Need+from+the+People+in+Charge+Melody+Wilding+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://mybook.top/read/B0CXLSH6Y6/
#managingup #careercommunication #workplaceboundaries #influencewithoutauthority #managerrelationship #professionalgrowth #workplaceconflictresolution #ManagingUp
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, Reframing Managing Up as a Core Career Skill, A central idea is that managing up is not flattery or manipulation but a professional skill that improves how work gets done. The book positions the manager relationship as a system with inputs and outputs: what you communicate, how you document decisions, and how you respond to shifting priorities directly affects your autonomy and outcomes. This reframing matters because many high performers assume their work should speak for itself, then feel blindsided by vague feedback, last minute changes, or invisible expectations. Managing up, in this view, is taking responsibility for the interface between your work and leadership, especially when your manager is busy or inconsistent. The reader is encouraged to treat clarity as something to co create: align on what success looks like, confirm deadlines and decision rights, and make tradeoffs explicit when capacity is limited. This also includes understanding incentives and pressures above your manager, such as stakeholder demands, metrics, and organizational politics, not to play games but to anticipate what your manager needs from you. By replacing guesswork with intentional communication, you reduce rework, protect focus, and build trust that can unlock better assignments and more support.
Secondly, Understanding Your Manager: Preferences, Pressures, and Decision Patterns, Another key topic is diagnosing how your manager operates so you can adapt without losing authenticity. The book emphasizes observing communication preferences, such as whether they like written updates or quick conversations, as well as their tolerance for ambiguity and their default response under stress. Many conflicts come from mismatch: a detail oriented employee working for a big picture leader, or a proactive problem solver working for a manager who wants to be consulted early. Wilding encourages readers to learn their manager’s success criteria and pain points, including what they are measured on and what risks they are trying to avoid. This context helps you frame updates and requests in a way that feels relevant to them. It also includes reading decision making patterns: who influences them, how fast they decide, what information makes them confident, and whether they tend to change direction when new input arrives. By mapping these patterns, you can time your asks, bring the right level of detail, and prevent surprises. This topic also covers the reality that managers are human: they may be overwhelmed, conflict averse, or inconsistent. Understanding the person behind the role helps you choose strategies that are compassionate and effective.
Thirdly, Communicating for Alignment: Updates, Expectations, and Feedback Loops, The book highlights communication routines that create alignment and reduce anxiety, especially in fast paced environments. Rather than relying on informal conversations and memory, Wilding advocates for clear check ins, structured updates, and confirmation of next steps. This can include short status summaries, agenda led one on ones, and written recaps after key conversations. The purpose is not bureaucracy but shared understanding: what is being done, why it matters, what the risks are, and what decisions are needed. A strong feedback loop also prevents small issues from becoming performance problems. The reader is guided to invite feedback in a way that is specific and actionable, such as asking what great looks like for a deliverable or what concerns a leader might have before presenting to stakeholders. Another element is expectation management: communicating constraints early, proposing tradeoffs, and flagging dependencies so your manager can make informed calls. This topic also addresses tone and framing, showing how to communicate confidence without overpromising, and how to raise concerns without sounding negative. When done consistently, these habits build credibility, reduce fire drills, and help your manager advocate for you because they can easily explain your progress and impact.
Fourthly, Advocating for Resources, Boundaries, and Growth Opportunities, A practical theme is learning to ask for what you need, whether that is time, support, tools, or scope changes, without triggering defensiveness. The book treats advocacy as a collaborative problem solving process: identify the constraint, explain its impact on outcomes, and offer options. This approach can make requests feel less personal and more aligned with shared goals. Boundaries are included as an essential resource, especially for people who overfunction, take on too much, or struggle to say no. The reader is encouraged to set limits through prioritization conversations, not rigid refusals: if a new task appears, clarify what should be deprioritized. Growth is another resource. Wilding frames career development as something you proactively manage by signaling interests, asking for stretch assignments, and requesting visibility at the right moments. This is paired with the idea of being a low drama, high leverage partner: you bring solutions, anticipate obstacles, and create ease for leadership. The topic also considers that not every manager is naturally supportive. In those cases, the book’s strategies help you negotiate clearer agreements, document decisions, and seek mentors and sponsors without undermining the manager relationship.
Lastly, Handling Difficult Dynamics: Conflict, Misalignment, and Manager Changes, The book also addresses what to do when the manager relationship is strained or unstable. Difficult dynamics can include inconsistent direction, micromanagement, lack of responsiveness, or a mismatch in working style. Wilding’s approach centers on reducing ambiguity and increasing structure: clarify roles, agree on decision points, and document commitments to prevent revisionist expectations. When conflict arises, the focus is on addressing issues early and directly, using observable facts, business impact, and a proposed path forward. This helps keep conversations professional even when emotions are high. Another common challenge is misalignment between what leadership says and what they reward. The book encourages readers to look for signals in how priorities are enforced, then to align their efforts accordingly while still maintaining integrity. It also considers transitions, such as a new manager, reorg, or shifting stakeholders. In those moments, managing up becomes a reset: reestablish expectations, share how you work best, and quickly demonstrate reliability. The goal is not to tolerate unhealthy behavior indefinitely but to build skills that protect your performance, reduce stress, and clarify when it is time to escalate, seek support elsewhere, or consider a change.
