Managing up in one page a week

What is happening

“Managing up” has a bad reputation because it sounds like flattery. The useful version is logistical. A manager who runs eight people cannot hold eight sets of priorities, risks and blockers in their head. The ones who seem to run smoothly are usually being fed a steady, compact stream of information by their best people. The page does three things: it tells the manager what is moving, it asks for the one decision only they can make, and it records what was agreed so nobody has to remember.

The format matters less than the rhythm. Sent at the same time every week, the page becomes something the manager reads in two minutes before their own meetings. Sent irregularly, it becomes one more message to triage. The page is also the record that protects you when priorities shift: what was agreed, and when, is written down in your own words.

Why it matters

What this means for you

What to do

1. Use four headings, every week, in this order: Done, Next, Risks, Need from you. Keep each under three bullets.
2. “Need from you” must contain at most one request, phrased so it can be answered with a yes, a no or a name. Decisions that need a conversation go in a meeting, not the page.
3. Send it at the same time weekly, before your manager’s own reporting moment. Ask once which day suits them, then never ask again.
4. Keep every page in one document. At review time, your year is already written: what you did, what you flagged, what was decided and by whom.

Do it with the pillars

Sources & provenance

Written for