One of the most valuable things you can learn throughout your software engineering career is to “manage up” effectively. For those new to the term, it’s defined as “a professional technique that involves developing a productive working relationship with your boss.”
I view it as developing the skills that make your manager’s life easier. If you can successfully do this, it’ll help your career trajectory and you’ll learn a ton in the process. Here are three ways to effectively manage up.
The first is to communicate proactively — your manager should never be wondering what you’re up to. All things happening, good and bad, should be discussed with your manager before they have to come asking. A way that has helped me do this efficiently is by contemplating what questions my manager will ask me during one-on-ones and team meetings before they happen.
This allows me to ensure that I have these answers and the data to justify them readily available if necessary. If a bug has occurred, what’s the customer impact and its root cause? If a project has launched, what are its adoption metrics that we are using to determine its success? Always be thinking about what information your manager needs and how you can obtain it.
A second strategy to manage up effectively is to remove pain points from your manager’s life. Normally, your manager might have a problem and they’ll request your help to solve it. Instead, reverse this relationship — proactively identify problems your manager is or will soon face, solve them, and inform them of doing so.
Successfully doing this will not only gain the appreciation of your manager but also their support if you’re interested in making career advancements. After all, it says something about your skill level if you’re capable of making the person you report to’s problems disappear.
My final tip for managing up is to be a reliable engineer. If you’re managing up effectively, your manager doesn’t need to worry about you or your work — they know you’ll deliver what’s needed and ontime baring any extenuating circumstances.
The best compliment you can receive is being given ownership of a task and being entrusted to deliver whatever may be necessary to complete it with high quality and with your own agency.
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Nice job, bro! Being a reliable engineer :)
Good tips, I learnt all this the hard way