Even if no one reports to you, your job still involves managing people - the ones occupying slots above yours on the organization chart. It's called "managing up," and those who do it well can become indispensable to their organizations, resulting in choice assignments and promotions.


So, what is managing up? It's "the ability to communicate up the chain of command," according to Sharon Daniels, chief executive of the training and consulting firm AchieveGlobal.


Daniels sees these skills as especially critical today, since senior managers oversee large numbers of employees who often are occupied in different job functions. And as companies become less hierarchical, frontline managers must shoulder more responsibility for providing executives with the right kind of information. She sees more managers depending on "that collaborative relationship and frank discussion about what the business needs in order to succeed and grow."


Managing up begins by establishing a good working relationship with your boss. A good way to begin is by asking your manager about their expectations and objectives at the outset. Find out about their work style, ask what decisions they want to be involved in, what information they want and how they want to receive it.


In addition, Daniels observes managing up is partly about timing. "I don't know a boss in the world who likes to be caught off guard," says Daniels. "Most managers appreciate this kind of relationship. If you've established the guidelines and choose appropriate times to communicate, you'll be more likely to get the results you want."
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