Why Managing Up Matters in a Layoff-Prone Workplace, According to Roberta Matuson

In a recent LinkedIn post, Roberta Matuson discusses why managing up can matter for employees navigating a workplace where layoffs are common. Her post promotes an updated LinkedIn Learning course, but its central argument is about the role of upward communication in a top-down business environment. This article reports on Matuson’s post and her stated perspective; it was not written by Matuson.

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

Managing relationships with leaders

Matuson frames managing up as a skill with consequences for employees’ ability to remain in their roles. She connects that skill to organizational hierarchies, where decisions often flow from senior leaders to teams. According to Matuson, employees who understand how to work effectively with their managers may be better positioned in that environment.

The post offers a concise claim rather than a detailed how-to guide. It does not spell out specific practices, such as how often employees should communicate with a manager or how they should raise concerns. Instead, Matuson emphasizes the broader importance of attending to the relationship between employees and the people above them in the organizational structure.

Layoffs shape the urgency of the message

“The people who get to stay in their jobs, especially today with layoffs being all too common, are the ones who have mastered the skill of managing up in the top-down world of business.”

That statement ties Matuson’s advice to job insecurity. She argues that managing up is particularly relevant when layoffs are widespread, presenting it as a capability associated with retaining a position. The post does not offer evidence or qualify how much this skill affects layoff decisions, so the claim is best understood as Matuson’s professional perspective rather than a universal rule about how employers choose whom to retain.

Her framing places responsibility partly on employees to navigate hierarchy. It also points readers toward a practical question: how can they make their work, priorities and challenges clear to their managers? Matuson’s post raises the importance of that question without outlining a single prescribed answer.

A course offer alongside the advice

Matuson uses the post to direct readers to an updated course on the subject. She says she has made it free through the link accompanying her post, and invites organizations seeking a speaker to contact her.

“Check out my newly updated course on this topic on LinkedIn Learning! I have made it free for you with the link below.”

The course promotion gives readers a next step for exploring the topic, while the speaker invitation extends the post’s appeal to organizations. Together, those offers position managing up as both an individual workplace skill and a subject for broader professional development. Matuson’s main message remains clear: in a hierarchical business setting, employees should pay attention to how they work with their leaders, particularly amid uncertainty about job security.