Don't Just Manage Up, Manage Higher!

A comprehensive guide on how to connect with your skip-level manager

Reading time: 10 minutes

A few months after joining Uber in 2017, I got an email from my skip level scheduling a 1-1 with me. Even though the calendar invite didn’t explicitly mention any potential negative implications of this 1-1, I still felt quite apprehensive. Why would the director want to talk to me? Was I in trouble?

I wasn't used to meeting senior leadership, so It took me some time to understand and become comfortable having these interactions.

When you're talking with someone in a higher position, worrying about saying the wrong thing or something that could get you in trouble is normal. You might also want to make a good impression and show off your team in the best light. No pressure 😅!

This article is a comprehensive guide of all the things I wish I had known earlier in my career about managing higher: what it means, its benefits, and how to make the most out of it (what to do and what not to do when managing higher).

It’s also a follow-up to last week’s article about managing up:

Managing Up (Irina’s Version): How to Meet The Unspoken Needs of Your Manager

I will primarily address this from a report’s perspective, but if you're a skip-level reader, you'll likely find this information valuable as well.

Without further ado, let’s jump in!

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Why this matters

I didn’t always manage higher, and I regret that. The opportunity cost is hard to measure, but I’m quite sure it would’ve saved me time and given me a helpful perspective, especially as my relationship with my manager was deteriorating.

My coaching clients had great success in managing higher by applying the advice in this article. Some of the results they were able to achieve:

• Promotions to higher levels

• Buy-in for projects they initiated

• Cultural changes implementing their proposals

• Influencing reorgs and changes in the product org as a result of their escalations

Pretty impressive I would say.

Can you have a good career without managing higher? Probably. But can you have an even better and more impactful career managing higher? Absolutely.

Without managing higher, you’re leaving benefits on the table. But first, let’s clarify what I mean by managing higher.

What does it mean to manage higher?

If managing up means doing your part in building a fruitful relationship with your manager, managing higher means building a relationship with your manager’s manager (aka your skip-level manager).

2 things determine the success of managing higher: