Managing up might sound like corporate jargon, something only senior folks or managers in big companies worry about. But in reality, it’s something most of us do, consciously or not, as part of everyday work.

In this post, I share what managing up really means, how I came to understand it more deeply after becoming a manager myself, and a set of practical, human-centered ways to build a clearer, more supportive relationship with your own manager. Whether you’re an engineer or a first-time manager, I hope this gives you something useful to work with.