Managing Up

by Harvard Business Publishing

Your boss plays an important role in your career. So how do you navigate this delicate, significant professional relationship without playing political games or compromising your character? Managing Up offers concise, expert tips on:

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Management, Audiobook, Business Leadership

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) is a publisher founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, independent corporation and an affiliate of Harvard Business School (distinct from Harvard University Press), with a focus on improving business management practices. The company offers articles, books, case studies, simulations, videos, learning programs, and digital tools to organizations and subscribers.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the books by the Harvard Business review in this series mainly aim to improve the work environment's situations in the best possible manner.

What is managing up?
It is the manner of knowing the manager well and listening to them carefully. It is simply working with your supervisor for a common goal to reach a beneficial relationship.
"By failing to manage up means more than simply missing upon benefits. It can be a risky proportion."


My favorite three lines from this book.

“Never take the relationship with your manager for granted. It requires nurturing and periodic reflection”

"In negotiations, persuasion is paramount. So the way you package your message is as important as the message itself."

"You must know yourself and navigate the differences with your manager."

Harvard business review has published a few of the best business books in the world, and this one will never disappoint you.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh... Obvious mom and apple pie advices. No unique or insightful point of view.

[Mohit Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bite-sized read from the HBR 20-Minute Manager series, and it sticks to that promise: quick, light, and digestible. It doesn’t go deep into the nuances of managing up but offers a neat checklist-style overview. You can finish it in under an hour, which makes it handy if you’re looking for a quick refresher or first-time exposure to the concept.

Not a must-read, but decent for the time investe

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good, short primer on building a good relationship with your manager. Although the advice is common sense, probably most people don't attempt the most basic steps to improve their working relationship with their manager, such as meeting the manager face-to-face and asking "what are your expectations from me and how to do you prefer to receive information from me?"

[davidgonzalezsr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tips for working effectively with you manager. Quick read with some useful tidbits. The narration was good.

Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to or will listen to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

My god, what a load of brownnosing shit. I understand the importance of working well with your manager but this book seems to place them on some Christ-like pedestal and says stuff like your manager's needs should take priority over yours. Not a chance, they are buying my labour. Not my soul.

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short to be able to delve deeper. The structure it bases ideas on seems to be a bigger organization with too much of a distance between the manager and the direct report. The same ideas may not exactly apply for smaller organizations.

[Navneet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quick and easy read.

[Quek Liu Ting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tips given were common sensical. Didn't learn much new things from it. It was a short read, finished it within a couple of hours, so its suitable for those who are time strapped.

[Muhammad Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, short and crisp, detailing exactly what you need to do manage the all important relationship with your boss

Investing in HBR subscription seems to be money well spent.

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great resource for those new to management.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read on managing up by setting clear expectations, advocating your ideas and strategic relationships Not much groundbreaking but a good lunchtime read

[Shima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light read, really helps especially if management is your career or something you’re thinking to persuade.

[Yu Kuo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This summary is a bit too brief. Didn't learn much from the book.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have liked more examples but that’s what you get with such a short book 🤷‍♀️

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to look into the idea of “managing up” because every job I’ve held my direct manager has gone out for maternity or medical leave and this has thrown me into a different management structure than what I was used to. And then when my manager has returned it was yet another adjustment.

My immediate response to this book: They were not lying when they said 20 minutes! I actually read this book twice before I sat down to write my response. The good part is, that where I felt this book kept me wanting, they recommend reading the HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across, also by the Harvard Business Review and I already have a copy from the library!

Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.

[Abigail Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical and insightful guide to building a strong, respectful relationship with your boss. This quick read offers straightforward advice on navigating workplace dynamics without compromising your integrity. Perfect for professionals seeking to enhance their leadership and collaboration skills on the go.

[dakalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and practical

Quick read practical applicable tips . Managing up does not have to be a cringe affair. It's absolutely ensuring alignment and preferences styles . Good quick read high recommendable. Give it a go . Harvard business review .

[Axel Pimentel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A primer with great insight on managing the relationship with your boss, more a reference book on important topics you should always have in mind. Keep it at hand!

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short and very few useful parts.

[202 unknown · Rating 4 out of 5]

tựa Việt: 20' quản lý sếp

dễ đọc ngắn gọn nếu so với bộ HBR Guild to, đọc lại thì thấy tường minh và dễ áp dụng

[Kunaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navigating negotiations and handling disagreements has always been a difficult task for me. I guess its more to do with my personality type which has a lot of empathy.

Post reading Managing Up I realised that there are simpler ways to handle negotiations and express disagreements.

It all boils down to knowing your Boss and his priorities. Knowing you organisational goals while speaking to your Boss can always take discussions in a proper direction. Setting your expectations and having a detailed understanding of what you must deliver, helps you align with your Boss.

Managing Up gives you tips which can be used to communicate disagreements effectively. Also, making the conversations more "we" centric than "you" centric changes the way we communicate.

I liked the last chapter which is about monitoring the relationships. It has ten questions which can be used to review the state of your relationship with you Boss. It helps you take immediate corrective actions.

It also gives a scenario on what should you do if you are dealing with a toxic Boss.

You can read this book within 20 minutes.

[Delhi Irc]

Location: ND6 IRC
Accession No: DL030729