Managing Upwards: Working Effectively with Senior Stakeholders

How to communicate clearly, manage expectations, and build productive relationships with senior colleagues Reflection: Which senior stakeholder relationship currently feels easiest, and which feels hardest? Why? Marketing rarely works in isolation. Much of the role involves influencing people with different priorities, time pressures, and definitions of success. HBR’s recent guidance describes managing up as proactively building a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with your boss through understanding priorities, tailoring updates, and balancing their needs with your own. Key point: Managing upwards is not politics in a grubby suit. It is part of doing your job well. By the end of this session, you should be able to: Understand what managing upwards actually involves Recognise what senior stakeholders usually care about Communicate in a clearer, more useful way Manage expectations before problems grow Build trust, credibility, and better working relationships upwards More...