Managing Up Overview
Success in business doesn’t just depend on your technical expertise — it also depends on your ability to strategically communicate, build mutual understanding, and develop trusted advocacy. Organizations gain a powerful competitive edge when professionals use these skills to manage upward relationships. This program equips professionals with the tools to enhance their visibility, secure support for initiatives, and strengthen communication across diverse leadership styles and preferences.
You will learn to refine your ability to anticipate leadership goals, tailor your approach, and present ideas with clarity and credibility. By developing a deeper understanding of how to align with the goals of senior decision-makers, participants will streamline execution, reduce friction, and create broader, more productive impact. Whether influencing executives or cross-functional stakeholders, you’ll learn to lead without authority by cultivating mutual respect and trust.
Benefits of Managing Up
Research from McKinsey shows those who build productive relationships across and up the organization not only accelerate career advancement, but also improve overall business productivity and performance.
Through the use of case studies, role-play, and collaborative exercises, you will:
- Learn how to boost your visibility with senior leaders to increase recognition, strengthen your strategic value, and open doors for career advancement.
- Develop a framework for building trust and aligning with leadership’s goals to drive measurable results.
- Develop clarity, presence, and agility in your messaging to communicate ideas persuasively across different styles and audiences.
- Build organizational insight and learn to navigate internal politics and culture to build strong, mutual relationships and reduce organizational friction.
- Lead through influence, manage upward relationships, and gain access to the resources that drive success — even without formal authority.
- Return to your organization with sharper leadership skills, empowered to advocate for key initiatives, manage critical relationships, and contribute to sustained success.
Participants will also earn a Certificate of Completion from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, further validating your expertise in navigating upward relationships.
Who Should Take Managing Up
This program is designed for mid-career professionals advancing into more strategic roles who are seeking to refine their ability to manage upward relationships, elevate their communication, and drive organizational outcomes.
Curriculum
Participants will explore key frameworks and practical strategies to manage upward relationships and lead with credibility:
- Decoding Leadership Priorities: Learn to understand and adapt to your leader’s goals, decision-making style, and communication preferences to support team and organizational success.
- Strategic Alignment: Position your contributions to support enterprise-wide objectives and strengthen leadership engagement.
- Leveraging Consiglieres: Build relationships with your manager’s trusted advisors to secure support and access critical resources.
- The Trust Equation: Explore trust-building components — credibility, reliability, adaptability, and transparency — and reduce ego-driven behaviors to foster stronger collaboration.
- Internal Networking for Influence: Strengthen cross-functional relationships and expand your influence throughout the organization.
In this program, you will work with tools such as SINOLI and the Trust Equation to enhance your understanding of leadership dynamics and maximize their organizational impact.
Considering this program?
April Schedule
Week 1
- High-quality connections: Networking & relationship building on a deeper level
- Influencing leadership
- Developing trust with others
- Case study
Week 2
- Persuasion
- Building rapport, likability, and trust with senior leadership
- Strategic alignment and evaluating your initiatives
- Addressing your workplace challenges and leveraging consiglieres and key stakeholders
Instructor
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![Michael McCarthy]()
Michael McCarthy
Michael McCarthy is an experienced leader, serial entrepreneur, and educator with a career focused on driving innovation and developing leadership skills. For over 12 years, he has served as an instructor at Harvard Division of Continuing Education, teaching courses on positive workplace dynamics, entrepreneurship, and sales management. Over his career, he has led seven successful companies, including ten years as the world’s top stock market timer, managing teams of traders in Boston and New York.
FAQs
What does "managing up" mean in the workplace?
Managing up is a professional technique that employees can use to navigate relationships with senior leadership or their direct managers. The technique involves taking a proactive approach to addressing concerns of senior leaders, offering solutions, and aligning with their goals. This allows employees to build strong, collaborative relationships with their direct managers and senior leadership, helping them gain visibility and support.
How can managing up enhance my career advancement?
Managing up can enhance your career by helping you build trust with leadership, demonstrate initiative, and contribute more strategically to team goals. When you understand your manager’s priorities and proactively support them, you position yourself as a reliable, solution-oriented professional — characteristics that often lead to new opportunities and advancement.
Will this program help me create a stronger relationship with my supervisor, manager, or senior leadership?
This program can help you build a stronger relationship with your supervisor. In this program, you’ll learn how to build trust, align with leadership goals, and communicate with clarity across different styles — all of which can help strengthen your relationship with your manager.
Can managing up help me influence decision-makers even without formal authority?
Yes, managing up is a key strategy for influencing decision-makers, even if you don’t hold formal authority. By understanding leadership priorities, communicating effectively, and building trust, you can position yourself as a credible voice and strategic partner. This influence allows you to advocate for ideas, shape outcomes, and drive impact across your organization.
