Hi there,

​

Most friction with managers comes from unclear expectations and surprise risks that show up late. The result is extra meetings, rework, and the feeling that you are always behind. You can replace tension with a calm system that makes outcomes obvious and next steps easy to approve. Today you will align on success, learn how your manager decides, send short weekly signals, pre-package choices, and surface risks early.

The Playbook

Step 1: Align on outcomes

How to do it: Write one paragraph that states the goal, the done criteria, the single KPI, and the next checkpoint date. Confirm the wording with your manager and pin it in your project thread.

​

Proof: Both of you repeat the goal and KPI using the same words. Feedback in reviews points back to the agreed done criteria.

Step 2: Map your manager’s style

How to do it: Note how they prefer updates, which risks they care about, and when they usually reply. Ask one question in your next 1:1 to validate your read.

​

Proof: Messages land in the right place and get faster replies. You ask fewer follow-ups because you know what they need to decide.

Step 3: Send a one-screen weekly update

How to do it: Use four lines every time: Headline, KPI table or tiny chart, What changed and what is next, What I need by a date. Post at a fixed time and keep the format stable.

​

Proof: Your manager forwards the update instead of asking for a meeting. Decisions happen in the thread because the signal is predictable.

Step 4: Offer options with a recommendation

How to do it: Package up to three choices that trade scope, time, and resources and mark one as your pick. Keep each option to one line with a clear trade-off.

​

Proof: Approvals land in one or two cycles. You avoid long debates because the frame is complete.

Step 5: Surface risks early with triggers

How to do it: Keep a short risk block with Risk, Early trigger, and Mitigation owner. When a trigger fires, post the plan and tag the owner.

​

Proof: Surprises drop and recovery time shrinks. Your manager references your risk list in their own updates.

Skill Focus

Skill 1: Executive framing

Why it matters: Managers decide on outcomes and risk, not process detail. Clear framing makes it easy to say yes or redirect fast.

​

Practice this week: Rewrite one long note into three lines that cover the headline, the KPI, and the ask with a date. Remove any sentence that does not change a decision.

​

Apply at work: Put the three-line frame at the top of every message and link details for depth. Keep sentences short and concrete.

​

Proof to show: Replies arrive faster with a decision or a direct counter. Your format gets reused by others.

Skill 2: : Expectation setting

Why it matters: Misalignment creates rework and stress. When expectations are explicit, quality and timelines stay realistic.

​

Practice this week: Draft a one-paragraph brief with Goal, Done criteria, Deadline, and Non-negotiables. Share one example artifact to calibrate quality.

​

Apply at work: Pin the brief in the project thread and open reviews by reading the done criteria aloud. Update the brief in writing when scope shifts.

​

Proof to show: Fewer revision cycles and clearer feedback. Your manager quotes the done criteria in planning chats.

Skill 3: Upward communication rhythm

Why it matters: Predictable signals replace check-ins and reduce interruptions. Rhythm builds trust that you will surface what matters on time.

​

Practice this week: Block a fixed weekly slot to post your one-screen update. Add a small checklist for What changed, What is next, and What I need.

​

Apply at work: Post on schedule and tag only the decision owner. Store all updates in one running thread for easy history.

​

Proof to show: Status pings drop and approvals land by the requested date. Handovers move faster because context is easy to find.

Case study

Aisha led a small integration project and felt whiplash from shifting requests. Her manager wanted outcomes and early risk signals, but Aisha sent long task lists that buried the point. She wrote a one-paragraph brief with the goal, done criteria, KPI, and checkpoint date, then asked her manager how they preferred updates and which risks mattered most.

​

She switched to a weekly one-screen update with a tiny chart, listed three options with a recommendation, and kept a small risk block with triggers and owners. Within two weeks, approvals arrived within 24 hours and scope changes were written instead of implied. Within six weeks, the team hit the revised date, and the manager asked Aisha to share her format with a peer squad.

Action steps

Lock the habit with small, visible moves. Do these now so managing up feels calm and effective.

• Write a one-paragraph brief with Goal, Done criteria, KPI, and the next checkpoint, and confirm it in your 1:1.
• Note your manager’s preferences for channel, timing, and risk focus, and validate one item this week.
• Build a one-screen template with Headline, KPI, What changed and what is next, and What I need by a date.
• Draft three options for a live decision and mark one as your recommendation with a one-line trade-off.
• Add a three-item risk block with triggers and owners, and route the first trigger that fires.

These steps make expectations explicit and decisions faster. Repeat the rhythm weekly so trust compounds and your scope grows without added stress.