The Art of Managing Up: Roberta Matuson on Navigating Your Career Trajectory

In a recent LinkedIn post, Roberta Matuson, a seasoned coach, shares critical insights on the often-overlooked skill of “managing up.” Matuson argues that this ability is not just beneficial but essential for career survival and advancement, particularly in a challenging job market.

The Perils of Neglecting Upward Management

Matuson begins by laying out a stark reality: failing to effectively manage your relationship with your direct superior can have severe consequences. She emphasizes that proactive management of this relationship is key to avoiding more difficult downward management challenges, or worse, job loss. The post highlights that talented, hardworking, and well-liked individuals can unexpectedly plateau in their careers due to missteps in how they interact with their bosses.

“If you don’t manage up, you won’t have to worry about managing down, as you won’t have a job.”

This powerful statement underscores the foundational importance of upward management, framing it as a prerequisite for maintaining employment. Matuson identifies several common, yet fatal, mistakes that professionals make:

• Blinding their boss with unexpected news.
• Publicly disagreeing rather than addressing issues privately.
• Failing to communicate proactively, leading to late-stage problems.
• Assuming that excellent results alone are sufficient for career progression.
• Underestimating the narrative their boss forms about their team members.

The Boss’s Narrative and Your Career Story

A key theme in Matuson’s analysis is the “story” that leaders tell about their teams. She posits that once an employee’s narrative becomes one of being “hard to manage,” their career trajectory is likely to shift negatively. This narrative is shaped not just by performance but by the quality of communication, the handling of disagreements, and the overall professional relationship with the manager.

“And once your story becomes ‘hard to manage,’ your career trajectory changes.”

Matuson encourages professionals to consider whether managing up might be a blind spot rather than an insurmountable challenge. She draws a parallel between a leader needing a mirror to see themselves and an employee needing guidance to understand how they are perceived and how their professional story is being written.

Coaching as a Professional Mirror

The post suggests that professional coaching can serve as that crucial mirror. It provides individuals with an objective perspective on their interactions and performance, helping them to identify and correct behaviors that might be hindering their career growth. Matuson poses a compelling question:

“If your boss is shaping your story, shouldn’t you have someone helping you edit it?”

This rhetorical question highlights the proactive role individuals can and should take in managing their careers. By seeking external guidance, professionals can gain the tools and insights needed to influence their boss’s narrative positively, ensuring their contributions are recognized and their career path remains upward.

Taking Control of Your Professional Narrative

Ultimately, Roberta Matuson’s message on LinkedIn is a call to action for professionals to take ownership of their career narrative. She advocates for a strategic approach to managing relationships at all levels, with a particular emphasis on the critical dynamic with one’s direct manager. By understanding the potential pitfalls and actively seeking to improve their “upward management” skills, individuals can better navigate organizational politics, avoid career plateaus, and ultimately author their own success stories.

Matuson concludes by inviting those ready to “write their own story” to engage in a conversation, suggesting that proactive career management is a journey worth embarking on with the right support.