Managing Upwards: Taking Ownership of Your Career Progression

As an executive coach specializing in women in tech leadership, I often hear assumptions that career progression relies solely on your manager. However, you have far more influence over your own advancement than you realize. Effectively "managing upwards" builds trust, elevates your personal brand, and drives impact beyond your formal responsibilities.

What Does "Managing Upwards" Actually Mean?

Managing upwards refers to proactively building mutually beneficial relationships with your leaders. Rather than a one-way manager-employee dynamic, it's a two-way partnership.

Why Is Managing Upwards Critical?

1. Boosts Your Personal Brand - Positioning yourself as a strategic thought leader rather than just a task follower.
2. Accelerates Your Career - Taking ownership over your progression rather than relying on your manager.
3. Helps Your Team - Bringing key topics to your leader's attention that may be falling through the cracks.
4. Supports Your Leader - Providing an additional perspective to inform their decision-making.

How to Effectively Manage Upwards

1. Build Trust Through RelationshipsInvest time in understanding your leader's work style, priorities, and motivations. Establish open communication channels.
2. Share Updates ProactivelyProvide regular progress reports and flag risks early. Don't rely on them to ask.
3. Seek Specific FeedbackAsk targeted questions to understand your strengths and growth areas, not just general praise.
4. Offer Your PerspectiveOnce rapport is established, share your informed point of view on key challenges.
5. Solve Problems, Don't Just Raise ThemWhen bringing issues up, provide potential solutions, not just complaints.
6. Drive Your Career ProgressionHave regular career development check-ins. Discuss your goals and ask for guidance tailored to you.

While managers have responsibility for their team's growth, truly owning your seat at the table accelerates advancement. By managing upwards, you maximize control over your own career trajectory.

Becoming a Strategic Partner

Managing upwards is not just about better execution of your core responsibilities. To truly influence leadership thinking, you need a seat at the strategic decision-making table. Some key ways to position yourself as a valued strategic partner include:

• Establishing Yourself as an Expert Resource: Educate your leader by bringing relevant data/trends even outside your domain expertise. Offer to spearhead high visibility cross-functional projects to showcase range.
• Engaging in Constructive Debate: Leaders respect critical thinkers who respectfully pressure test assumptions. Frame objections and alternative perspectives as collaborative problem-solving.
• Escalating Strategically When Required: If attempts to address issues constructively fail, know appropriate channels for raising concerns. Focus on listening first before reacting.
• Asking for a Seat at the Table: Seek opportunities to join key meetings, task forces, and decisions forums. Be able to articulate the distinct perspective you would bring.

Forging Your Own Path

The most effective strategy for advancement is rarely just waiting patiently. When you establish yourself as a high-value strategic partner, new possibilities emerge.

Managing up opens doors in two key ways:

1. Opportunities Find You: By driving key initiatives, challenging the status quo respectfully, and sensing critical unmet needs, your leadership ability gets recognized. Mentorship offers, projects, deals, and promotions you didn't initially envision may come your way based purely on the influence you've built.
2. Create Your Own Openings: Once leadership knows you as a strategic contributor, you have credibility when proposing ideas. Constructively challenge your leader: "There seems to be a gap around X that I'm passionate about filling based on my skills," or "I'd like your support to drive a new cross-functional initiative around Y." Compelling opportunities you potentially didn't see before managing up arise.

Of course, creating your own path may feel uncomfortable initially, or there is a risk of overstretching capabilities. But showing leadership, even beyond your current position, attracts growth potential. You can still lean on your manager as a mentor to filter opportunities that are not right for you.

As you stretch yourself in unexpected directions, though, embrace it fully!

Let me know what you think - what should women in tech specifically keep in mind as we push our leadership boundaries upward and onward? I welcome perspectives in the comments!