In one of my startup jobs, I worked with a colleague who had suddenly gained one of the founders’ strong trust and support. The two of them would be seen huddled over, talking animatedly in the hallway. In a small startup, people notice this sort of thing. Over gossipy after-work beers, people would roll their eyes when his name came up and complain about the quality of ideas being allowed as a result of this sudden closeness. Why, I wondered out loud, couldn’t the co-founder see what we saw?
An Engineer friend, a few beers deep, spat out the answer — “He’s really good at upward management”. For years after that, I associated upward management with sucking up, politicking and bad ideas.
I was wrong to think this. Dead wrong.
Upward management — defined here as understanding how to successfully interact with and communicate with your own manager can propel teams and companies forward. It can also propel your own career forward without engaging in the dark arts of flattery or manipulation.