Managing Up and Across
Managing Up and Across — Why I Recommend It
Doing great work isn’t enough. You also need to work great with people—especially the ones who influence your success: your manager and your peers. Managing Up and Across by HBR is a practical playbook for building trust, aligning priorities, and getting things done when you don’t control all the levers. It’s influence-without-drama: clear expectations, clean communication, and consistent follow-through.
What It’s Really About
Turning “stakeholders” into partners. The book shows how to read what your boss actually needs, how to adapt to different styles, and how to collaborate across teams that don’t share your deadlines. You’ll set working agreements, pre-wire decisions, use crisp updates, and handle conflict without burning bridges. The goal isn’t politics—it’s clarity, reliability, and momentum.
Authors & Background
Published by Harvard Business Review, this guide distills field-tested tactics from managers, operators, and researchers. It’s short, tactical, and built for real workplaces—frontline to executive level.
Why This Matters
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Your work travels through relationships. The better the relationships, the faster the work moves.
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Influence beats authority. Most wins happen without formal power.
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Clarity reduces conflict. When roles and expectations are explicit, friction drops.
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Trust compounds. Small, reliable acts become a reputation you can spend when it counts.
14 Practical Takeaways
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Map your stakeholders. List who’s high-influence/high-interest; note their goals, worries, and preferred channels.
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Build a Working Agreement with your boss. Cadence, communication preferences, decision rights, priorities, and “no-surprises” policy. One page, both sign off.
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Align on “the three.” Confirm the three outcomes that matter most this quarter. Revisit monthly.
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Use a micro-yes opener. “Can I send a 5-bullet options summary by 3 pm?” Small yeses open doors.
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Pre-wire decisions. Preview your proposal with key voices before the meeting. Surprise kills approvals.
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Choose the right medium. Slack for status, email for record, doc for decisions, meeting for trade-offs.
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Send crisp updates. RYG (Red/Yellow/Green), what changed, risk, ask. One screen or less.
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Make the ask specific. “Need a 10-minute go/no-go on Option B by Thursday 2 pm.” Clear ask, clear deadline.
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Translate styles. If they’re big-picture, lead with the headline; if they’re detail-minded, show the numbers first.
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Disagree and commit. State your case once clearly; if overruled, support the decision and ensure a review point.
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Escalate without blame. Define the decision, options, trade-offs, and your recommendation. Keep it neutral and fast.
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Trade favors like a pro. Offer value first (data, coverage, intros). Bank goodwill before you need a rush.
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Do a post-conflict reset. Acknowledge friction, clarify intent, agree on one new rule for next time. Move on.
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Close loops. After every commitment, confirm in writing and report completion. Reliability is your brand.
Field Notes
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Assume positive intent—verify expectations. Kind and clear beats nice and vague.
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Meetings are for decisions, not updates. Pre-reads out, choices in.
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Speed = clarity + access. If people know what you need and how to reach you, everything moves faster.
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Your reputation is your superpower. Be the person who does what they say, when they say.
Who Should Read This
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New hires learning how the place really works
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Individual contributors who need cross-team traction
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First-time managers building trust with leadership and peers
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Experienced pros who want less friction and more follow-through
A Line I Keep Coming Back To
“No surprises.” Leaders can handle bad news; they can’t handle late news.
How to Use It (28-Day Starter Plan)
Week 1 — Clarity with Your Boss
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Draft a one-page Working Agreement.
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Align on the three priorities and the RYG update cadence.
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Ask: “What does ‘great’ look like for you this month?”
Week 2 — Influence Across Teams
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Stakeholder map (top 6).
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Pre-wire one upcoming decision with each key voice.
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Send your first weekly crisp update (RYG + risks + asks).
Week 3 — Decisions & Escalations
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Convert a status meeting into a decision meeting with a 1-page options brief.
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Practice “disagree and commit” once; schedule a 30-day check-in on that decision.
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Create an escalation template (decision, options, trade-offs, recommendation).
Week 4 — Friction to Flow
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Run a post-conflict reset with one peer.
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Do two give-first favors (data share, coverage, intro).
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Conduct a mini-retrospective: what sped us up, what still drags, one rule to adopt.
Drop-In Managing Up & Across Toolkit (Templates)
Working Agreement (1 page)
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Cadence: (1:1 weekly? bi-weekly?)
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Channels: (email for X, chat for Y, doc for Z)
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Decision rights: (you/manager/committee)
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Priorities (Top 3):
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“No-surprises” triggers: (budget overrun, timeline slip, scope change)
Crisp Update (RYG) — weekly
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Status: G/Y/R (why)
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What changed since last update:
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Risks & mitigations:
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Decisions needed / by when:
Options Brief (≤1 page)
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Decision:
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Context (three bullets):
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Options (A/B/C) with pros/cons:
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Recommendation + impact:
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Next steps if approved:
Stakeholder Map (quick)
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Name | Role | Goals | Concerns | Influence/Interest | Preferred channel | Notes
Pre-wire Checklist
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Who must preview?
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What’s their likely concern?
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What data do they need?
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What change would you accept to earn their support?
Post-Conflict Reset (15 min)
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What happened (facts):
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My intent vs. impact:
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One new rule for next time:
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Confirm & follow up in writing.
Final Word
Managing Up and Across is about making work smoother and results faster by treating relationships as part of the job—not an afterthought. Be clear, be reliable, and make it easy for people to say “yes.” Influence builds, friction falls, and the work moves.
