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HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across
ARE YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WORKING AGAINST YOU? To achieve your goals and get ahead, you need to rally people behind you and your ideas. But how do you do that when you lack formal authority? Or when you have a boss who gets in your way? Or when you’re juggling others’ needs at the expense of your own? By managing up, down, and across the organization. Your success depends on it, whether you’re a young professional or an experienced leader. The HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across will help
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2013
351 people are currently reading
1489 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 21, 2020
Like most HBR guide books this is but a curated set of articles that fit the heading, which makes it a veritable hodgepodge of some amazing actionable advice and some loose writings with barely any meaningful examples. Having said that one can definitely benefit from it particularly if one is in the starting stages of the career.
This should be taken more like a reference book that one needs to refer whenever in doubt, since this book can only make one aware of things, and it is unto him/her to deliberately practice them whenever an opportunity arises.
At any rate, here are my top takeaways from the book:
1. Managing up is important because your boss plays a pivotal role in your success—or your failure.
2. Learn his feelings about what’s important in management — such as careful planning, decisiveness, building consensus — and make sure you develop and display those qualities.
3. In general, no boss likes to be surprised or seem ignorant of something she should know. If you must err, do it on the side of overinforming.
4. Those who speak up only when they disagree will usually enjoy less influence than those who have demonstrated prior support. So on those occasions when you do honestly agree with your boss, say so clearly and explicitly.
5. Reach agreement on the results you’re expected to produce— what will happen by when. Do this at the beginning, and update expectations periodically. Warn your boss of potential risks, and play out various scenarios of how you might handle them.
6. Do you present a problem and expect your boss to solve it? Many bosses resist that approach. Instead, try going in with a problem, an analysis, alternatives, and a recommendation he can react to.
7. Negotiate what you need from your boss. Don’t make him guess.
8. If you’ve identified an opportunity, show the potential benefits—not just to you or your team, but to the larger organization.
9. Ask your mentor about her personal goals and see how you can help her achieve them.
10. Leading or joining a cross-functional team is a great way to contribute to the larger organization.
11. “Once you become a victim, you cease to become a leader,” — So once you start identifying yourself as victim, you expect someone else to solve the problem for you, forgoing your leadership qualities. Instead, if you take it as an opportunity to learn or prove yourselves, suddenly the situation becomes an interesting challenge.
12. If you want your boss to use her authority on your behalf, give her everything she needs to build her case: assemble data, write drafts, zero in on how your request fits into larger unit or organizational goals.
13. When your bosses work remotely (or when you do), you need to overcommunicate to make up for the lack of face-to-face time.
14. Most bosses prefer proactive employees.
15. Self-awareness means having a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives. People with strong self- awareness are neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful. Rather, they are honest—with themselves and with others.
16. Self-awareness extends to a person’s understanding of his or her values and goals. Someone who is highly self-aware knows where he is headed and why. The decisions of self-aware people mesh with their values; consequently, they often find work to be energizing. They have a firm grasp of their capabilities and are less likely to set themselves up to fail by, for ex- ample, overstretching on assignments. They know, too, when to ask for help.
17. Self-regulation, which is like an ongoing inner conversation, is the component of emotional intelligence that frees us from being prisoners of our feelings. People engaged in such a conversation feel bad moods and emotional impulses just as everyone else does, but they find ways to control them and even to channel them in useful ways.
18. Motivated people are driven to achieve beyond expectations—their own and everyone else’s. They are forever raising the performance bar, and they like to keep score. And it follows naturally that people who are driven to do better also want a way of tracking progress—their own, their team’s, and their company’s.
19. Social skill, rather, is friendliness with a purpose: moving people in the direction you desire.
20. Core relationships should result in more learning, less bias in decision-making, and greater personal growth and balance. The people in your inner circle should also model positive behaviors, because if those around you are enthusiastic, authentic, and generous, you will be, too.
21. Realize the need to focus on cultivating a network rather than allowing it to organically arise from the day-to-day demands of your work.
22. We accept flattery even if we recognize it as such.
23. Make numerical data more compelling with examples, stories, and metaphors that have an emotional impact.
24. Your colleagues are less likely to resist when they feel you’ve taken the time to acknowledge their concerns.
This should be taken more like a reference book that one needs to refer whenever in doubt, since this book can only make one aware of things, and it is unto him/her to deliberately practice them whenever an opportunity arises.
At any rate, here are my top takeaways from the book:
1. Managing up is important because your boss plays a pivotal role in your success—or your failure.
2. Learn his feelings about what’s important in management — such as careful planning, decisiveness, building consensus — and make sure you develop and display those qualities.
3. In general, no boss likes to be surprised or seem ignorant of something she should know. If you must err, do it on the side of overinforming.
4. Those who speak up only when they disagree will usually enjoy less influence than those who have demonstrated prior support. So on those occasions when you do honestly agree with your boss, say so clearly and explicitly.
5. Reach agreement on the results you’re expected to produce— what will happen by when. Do this at the beginning, and update expectations periodically. Warn your boss of potential risks, and play out various scenarios of how you might handle them.
6. Do you present a problem and expect your boss to solve it? Many bosses resist that approach. Instead, try going in with a problem, an analysis, alternatives, and a recommendation he can react to.
7. Negotiate what you need from your boss. Don’t make him guess.
8. If you’ve identified an opportunity, show the potential benefits—not just to you or your team, but to the larger organization.
9. Ask your mentor about her personal goals and see how you can help her achieve them.
10. Leading or joining a cross-functional team is a great way to contribute to the larger organization.
11. “Once you become a victim, you cease to become a leader,” — So once you start identifying yourself as victim, you expect someone else to solve the problem for you, forgoing your leadership qualities. Instead, if you take it as an opportunity to learn or prove yourselves, suddenly the situation becomes an interesting challenge.
12. If you want your boss to use her authority on your behalf, give her everything she needs to build her case: assemble data, write drafts, zero in on how your request fits into larger unit or organizational goals.
13. When your bosses work remotely (or when you do), you need to overcommunicate to make up for the lack of face-to-face time.
14. Most bosses prefer proactive employees.
15. Self-awareness means having a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives. People with strong self- awareness are neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful. Rather, they are honest—with themselves and with others.
16. Self-awareness extends to a person’s understanding of his or her values and goals. Someone who is highly self-aware knows where he is headed and why. The decisions of self-aware people mesh with their values; consequently, they often find work to be energizing. They have a firm grasp of their capabilities and are less likely to set themselves up to fail by, for ex- ample, overstretching on assignments. They know, too, when to ask for help.
17. Self-regulation, which is like an ongoing inner conversation, is the component of emotional intelligence that frees us from being prisoners of our feelings. People engaged in such a conversation feel bad moods and emotional impulses just as everyone else does, but they find ways to control them and even to channel them in useful ways.
18. Motivated people are driven to achieve beyond expectations—their own and everyone else’s. They are forever raising the performance bar, and they like to keep score. And it follows naturally that people who are driven to do better also want a way of tracking progress—their own, their team’s, and their company’s.
19. Social skill, rather, is friendliness with a purpose: moving people in the direction you desire.
20. Core relationships should result in more learning, less bias in decision-making, and greater personal growth and balance. The people in your inner circle should also model positive behaviors, because if those around you are enthusiastic, authentic, and generous, you will be, too.
21. Realize the need to focus on cultivating a network rather than allowing it to organically arise from the day-to-day demands of your work.
22. We accept flattery even if we recognize it as such.
23. Make numerical data more compelling with examples, stories, and metaphors that have an emotional impact.
24. Your colleagues are less likely to resist when they feel you’ve taken the time to acknowledge their concerns.
November 20, 2019
Recommended by my skip-level given my interest in remote work.
With that lens, this was a good fit; short and to the point, with micro-articles and briefs that let it cover a number of topics at an appropriate amount of depth.
Mostly really helpful on topics of managing up and across, remote work, etc, though some sections felt super dated and unaware of the types of working environments I’ve experienced.
I always wonder what level these books are aimed at. It seems like mine, but if I were a middle manager more than an IC.
With that lens, this was a good fit; short and to the point, with micro-articles and briefs that let it cover a number of topics at an appropriate amount of depth.
Mostly really helpful on topics of managing up and across, remote work, etc, though some sections felt super dated and unaware of the types of working environments I’ve experienced.
I always wonder what level these books are aimed at. It seems like mine, but if I were a middle manager more than an IC.
June 4, 2013
A quick read. As with other HBG guides, it is a collection of HBR articles and books. Most of the articles have been cut short with the hope, I am assuming, to make it more interesting. So, if depth is what you are looking for, you may stay away from this. However, if you have reached a dead end with some of your relationships or situations upwards and across, this could throw up some fresh ideas
December 12, 2024
Solid advice/frameworks, particularly around social skill. Fairly surface level, but a quick read.
September 7, 2022
Fewer books in life have been less helpful. If you have common sense there isn't any need to read this book.
Spoiler--communicate with your manager.
Spoiler--communicate with your manager.
September 9, 2019
Short, apt and actionable
August 8, 2020
An assortment of articles of moderate quality, serving as a one-time read.
Key points:
1. Managing your boss by linda hill
• Boss plays a conflicting role of an evaluator and supporter
• Your boss expects you to collaborate, lead initiatives, develop your own people, stay current, drive your own growth and demonstrate positive behavior even during hard times
• Take stock of your relationship – are you meeting expectations – results (are you meeting targets), information (do you keep your boss informed – does he like high level information or details)
2. Winning over your new boss by lew Mcreary
• Never bring a problem to a boss without a proposed solution; explain the Problem, Possible Solutions, Implications thereof and Benefits
3. Manage up with your mentor’s guidance by Jeanne Meister
• Identify the thought leaders in the company, get to know them personally and show them how your ideas can drive their business agendas
• Understand your boss’ priorities; for instance put his top 3 subjects of interest on google alerts & update her on the same
4. Change the way your persuade by gary Williams
• 5 common decision making styles – Charismatic, thinker, sceptic, follower and controller
5. Get to know your boss’ boss by Priscilla claman
• Interact with her – hi/ hello, don’t be intimidated by the fact that he is a “powerful” person
• Reach out – send any articles of her interest
• Tap him for advice BUT ENSURE YOUR BOSS IS OK, ELSE IT WILL APPEAR THAT YOU ARE BYPASSING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
6. How to make your boss look good without becoming a sycophant by Michael Schrage
7. Stop being micromanaged by amy gallo
• Micromanagement is due to boss’ high internal level of anxiety
• Don’t fight it; build trust
• Make upfront agreements about deadlines; Schedule regular check-ins
8. Dealing with an incompetent boss
• Find a way to make it work
• Step up, do what he is weak at
9. Coping with a conflict-averse boss
• Pose “what-if” questions, problem solving (do some menial tasks on her behalf), ease in – engage in casual talk
10. Give your boss feedback
• If boss is open-minded, then only share your thoughts
• Wait to be invited, don’t launch an unsolicited feedback
• When in doubt, hold your tongue!
11. Managing multiple bosses
• Ascertain who the ultimate boss is
• Keep your calendar transparent for all bosses to see
• Establish protected times for instance, no interruptions for 3 days a week
• Get sneaky IF YOU HAVE TO i.e. figure out which bosses have more power, prioritize his assignments
• Create a to-do list and share it with every boss
12. What defines a leader
• EI – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill
• 3 categories of capabilities – Technical Skills, Cognitive Abilities and COMPETENCIES DEMONSTRATING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
• EI is in the limbic system of the brain (which governs feelings, impulses); the neocortex deals with concepts and logic
• Self awareness – 1 hallmark is having a self-deprecating sense of humour, be hungry for constructive criticism
• Self regulation – being stoic; being open to change
• The first 3 components of EI relate to oneself; last 2 relate to ability to manage relationship with others
13. Discipline of teams
14. Remote working
• Err on the side of overcommunicating
15. Office politics
• Dealing with negative forces – use 3Rs
• Redirection – eg. the company put us in this position, I Didn’t. it may be overly transparent & that’s the point
• Reciprocity – invited in C-suite meetings
• Rationality
Key points:
1. Managing your boss by linda hill
• Boss plays a conflicting role of an evaluator and supporter
• Your boss expects you to collaborate, lead initiatives, develop your own people, stay current, drive your own growth and demonstrate positive behavior even during hard times
• Take stock of your relationship – are you meeting expectations – results (are you meeting targets), information (do you keep your boss informed – does he like high level information or details)
2. Winning over your new boss by lew Mcreary
• Never bring a problem to a boss without a proposed solution; explain the Problem, Possible Solutions, Implications thereof and Benefits
3. Manage up with your mentor’s guidance by Jeanne Meister
• Identify the thought leaders in the company, get to know them personally and show them how your ideas can drive their business agendas
• Understand your boss’ priorities; for instance put his top 3 subjects of interest on google alerts & update her on the same
4. Change the way your persuade by gary Williams
• 5 common decision making styles – Charismatic, thinker, sceptic, follower and controller
5. Get to know your boss’ boss by Priscilla claman
• Interact with her – hi/ hello, don’t be intimidated by the fact that he is a “powerful” person
• Reach out – send any articles of her interest
• Tap him for advice BUT ENSURE YOUR BOSS IS OK, ELSE IT WILL APPEAR THAT YOU ARE BYPASSING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
6. How to make your boss look good without becoming a sycophant by Michael Schrage
7. Stop being micromanaged by amy gallo
• Micromanagement is due to boss’ high internal level of anxiety
• Don’t fight it; build trust
• Make upfront agreements about deadlines; Schedule regular check-ins
8. Dealing with an incompetent boss
• Find a way to make it work
• Step up, do what he is weak at
9. Coping with a conflict-averse boss
• Pose “what-if” questions, problem solving (do some menial tasks on her behalf), ease in – engage in casual talk
10. Give your boss feedback
• If boss is open-minded, then only share your thoughts
• Wait to be invited, don’t launch an unsolicited feedback
• When in doubt, hold your tongue!
11. Managing multiple bosses
• Ascertain who the ultimate boss is
• Keep your calendar transparent for all bosses to see
• Establish protected times for instance, no interruptions for 3 days a week
• Get sneaky IF YOU HAVE TO i.e. figure out which bosses have more power, prioritize his assignments
• Create a to-do list and share it with every boss
12. What defines a leader
• EI – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill
• 3 categories of capabilities – Technical Skills, Cognitive Abilities and COMPETENCIES DEMONSTRATING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
• EI is in the limbic system of the brain (which governs feelings, impulses); the neocortex deals with concepts and logic
• Self awareness – 1 hallmark is having a self-deprecating sense of humour, be hungry for constructive criticism
• Self regulation – being stoic; being open to change
• The first 3 components of EI relate to oneself; last 2 relate to ability to manage relationship with others
13. Discipline of teams
14. Remote working
• Err on the side of overcommunicating
15. Office politics
• Dealing with negative forces – use 3Rs
• Redirection – eg. the company put us in this position, I Didn’t. it may be overly transparent & that’s the point
• Reciprocity – invited in C-suite meetings
• Rationality
June 10, 2020
The book is a very fragmented, a shortened version of papers. I have to say the book seems very like a how to be a perfect flattering person in your career. If you really believe you want to spend the rest of your life in a hierarchical organization. You just want to get promotion and earn money, this book can be your hidden gem but comes at the cost of literally giving up yourself to satisfy your boss(es) and colleague; this is far away from having an ego.
But if you are working in a flatten structure company, I have to say you would look like an ass-kisser person in your colleague's eyes if you put this book best practices to action, But you can read and avoid and be a reasonable person.
The irony part of the book for me was that it constantly reminded me of my cat, that's how my cat reacts to my family and me according to how often each of us feeds her and gives corresponding feedbacks (she rarely purrs for me!). I felt on multiple parts of the book are merely training the reader to be ”such a good dog” to their boss(es) and colleague.
But if you are working in a flatten structure company, I have to say you would look like an ass-kisser person in your colleague's eyes if you put this book best practices to action, But you can read and avoid and be a reasonable person.
The irony part of the book for me was that it constantly reminded me of my cat, that's how my cat reacts to my family and me according to how often each of us feeds her and gives corresponding feedbacks (she rarely purrs for me!). I felt on multiple parts of the book are merely training the reader to be ”such a good dog” to their boss(es) and colleague.
September 26, 2023
I led my team (spread between US and UK locations) through a series of discussions on this book. We broke it up into 2-3 sections at a time, which worked really well with the format of this book. I think that having a conversation about each section really helped us put it into context and added much more depth.
Pros:
- Smaller excerpts so that you can decide which things you want to go read more about.
- Organized well and the Table of Contents clearly describes each section.
- Content from a variety of authors.
Cons:
- The book format is tall and skinnier than most paperbacks. In several sections, they used 3-column tables, which were very difficult to read due to the book shape.
- The key audience for this book seems to be higher-level leaders within a corporate environment. We ended up talking a lot about how to apply the concepts to lower level managers and individual contributors.
Pros:
- Smaller excerpts so that you can decide which things you want to go read more about.
- Organized well and the Table of Contents clearly describes each section.
- Content from a variety of authors.
Cons:
- The book format is tall and skinnier than most paperbacks. In several sections, they used 3-column tables, which were very difficult to read due to the book shape.
- The key audience for this book seems to be higher-level leaders within a corporate environment. We ended up talking a lot about how to apply the concepts to lower level managers and individual contributors.
March 11, 2019
A collection of summarized articles that start along the theme of managing up, transition to managing across (via influence to those not in your reporting structure) and ends with articles on the general topics of collaboration.
This is an excellent curation with very little redundancy that can serve as a great starting point towards further reading or exploration on anumbet of topics.
Of particular interest to me were two articles, one on managing remote employees/being managed remotely and another than had a tabular guide on how to work with those of other generations based on your own generation, which was surprisingly insightful.
The book is ultimately about collaboration and how to have influence in situations without direct authority.
This is an excellent curation with very little redundancy that can serve as a great starting point towards further reading or exploration on anumbet of topics.
Of particular interest to me were two articles, one on managing remote employees/being managed remotely and another than had a tabular guide on how to work with those of other generations based on your own generation, which was surprisingly insightful.
The book is ultimately about collaboration and how to have influence in situations without direct authority.
January 17, 2024
The book is a decent guide for those with limited knowledge in navigating office politics or starting out their careers. Nothing riveting is uncovered in the articles presented that one cannot learn through simple observation over several years in the workplace. Additionally, the guide could benefit from an overhaul as majority of the articles are quite dated (particularly the chapter on managing remote relationships).
May 28, 2024
While I found value in reading this book, most of the articles are too high level to be helpful. I’ve given this book three stars as there are two articles that I found particularly helpful - one on how to tailor your pitch to different decision-making styles and another on how to take a more strategic approach to building your network. Both are abridged versions of older HBR articles, which I now want to read. For that reason, I’d skip this book if you already subscribe to HBR.
March 20, 2022
This might be a useful book if you've never, ever read another book or article about how to function in the workplace... maybe. That's probably too harsh as I could see getting some use out of this as short articles to be read with your morning coffee but it's not something anyone should purchase if you're really struggling with issues of managing up or across.
November 22, 2017
This is a shorter and more condensed series than the 20 must reads. It includes articles from other books too. This is not bad if you enjoy the more concise articles which sometimes give just enough to get you thinking. Most content can be predictable.
October 1, 2021
This book is a series of condensed articles from larger pieces.
Like any collection it is a mixed bag. Several of the articles felt like they had lost the point/impact by being condensed.
Overall a good reading
Like any collection it is a mixed bag. Several of the articles felt like they had lost the point/impact by being condensed.
Overall a good reading
November 17, 2021
I came across my blind spots in terms of work management. There are many problems along with scenarios presented in this book that you might encounter in your daily work with concrete ways of resolution, self-improvement, and call-to-actions. I wish that I would have read this book before.
November 19, 2022
I read this as part of research for a book I am writing. There were a couple of insights, but largely this is focused on how you can make higher-ups happy and thus be in their good graces. Not particularly deep.
September 29, 2023
Great book on how to wade through different people at work. Author covers impressive depth of scenarios and complexities of situations and how to intelligently manage those situations.
Enjoyed it immensely
Enjoyed it immensely
April 8, 2024
This book is a collection of summary of articles from HBR, around the theme of Managing Up and Across. I found the book very useful, especially as I am trying to navigate my way in a new role and a new organisation.
May 28, 2024
Short essays on various topics related to managing up and across. (If I could give it a 3.5, I would!) Some essays were too short to allow for in-depth advice, but it is a good “quick guide” to explore these topics.
November 2, 2024
This is one of those HBR guides. All of them consist of articles that are insightful and resonating. The only reason that I did not give it a five star is that it needs to cut across different levels of career stages. Perspectives from non-top-executives are required.
August 2, 2025
A nice collection of articles each targeting a specific problem you might have at work with your manager or peers, good to use as a recipe book for when you encounter a situation. A lot of examples are very American so reading it, one might need to adapt and refine the main point themselves.
November 26, 2017
A helpful read that I will likely return to reread at a later date. This is a helpful book for beginning supervisors as well as line staff while adapting to changing corporate culture.
December 31, 2018
This is more a collection of summaries of other longer articles. So I found it not very instructive. The article on emotional intelligence was the most interesting one, for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2019
Read for a workshop I'm participating in
January 2, 2020
Collection of HBR articles rather than a book that shares a best practices/managerial wisdom on how to manage up and across. The book lacks structure and seems very fragmented.
March 21, 2020
Not good.
September 26, 2020
Mê dòng sách HBR Guide to rồi. Ngắn gọn, không hẳn dễ hiểu nhưng hay, bổ ích và có thể thực hiện được chứ không đơn thuần là lý thuyết đơn thuần.
December 31, 2021
Surface level introduction to managing up and across, lots of good stuff in it, but I'll be wanting to dig deeper into some of the HBR articles themselves.
June 5, 2022
Not all managers are equal.
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