Managing up is the skillful practice of building effective working relationships with superiors in the workplace to help both parties achieve their goals while supporting organizational success. According to Harvard Business Review, it involves "taking responsibility for getting what you need from your boss while also supporting their success." It's a critical competency that requires proactive communication, strategic relationship building, and organizational awareness.

In today's complex work environments, managing up has become essential for professionals at all levels. Whether coordinating with direct managers, executive leadership, or cross-functional stakeholders in positions of authority, the ability to effectively manage these relationships directly impacts individual and team success. Strong managing up skills enable employees to gain necessary resources, secure appropriate guidance, navigate organizational politics, and ultimately drive better results.

When evaluating candidates for this competency, interviewers should listen for evidence of proactive communication, strategic problem-solving, emotional intelligence, adaptability to different management styles, and the ability to influence without formal authority. The most successful professionals don't just respond to management directives—they actively partner with leadership to achieve shared goals while demonstrating diplomacy, resourcefulness, and excellent judgment about when and how to provide input.

At Yardstick, we recommend focusing on behavioral interview questions that reveal how candidates have navigated real relationships with superiors in the past, as these experiences provide concrete insights into their managing up capabilities.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to persuade your manager or another senior leader to support an idea or initiative that was important to you.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and why the idea was important
• How the candidate assessed their manager's priorities and perspective
• The approach they took to present the idea and build support
• Any resistance they encountered and how they addressed it
• The outcome of their efforts to gain support
• What they learned about effective upward communication

Follow-Up Questions:

• What research or preparation did you do before approaching your manager?
• How did you tailor your message to address your manager's specific concerns or priorities?
• Looking back, would you change anything about your approach?
• How did this experience influence how you communicate with leadership now?

Describe a situation where you had to work with a manager whose communication style or work preferences were very different from yours. How did you adapt?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific differences in style or preferences
• How these differences created challenges
• Steps the candidate took to understand their manager's needs
• Specific adaptations the candidate made
• Results of their adaptive approach
• Insights gained about working with different management styles

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you come to understand your manager's preferences?
• What was most challenging about adapting to this different style?
• How did you maintain your own effectiveness while adapting to their style?
• What did you learn about yourself through this experience?

Tell me about a time when you needed resources or support from your manager to complete an important project, but they were extremely busy or unavailable.

Areas to Cover:

• The context of the project and specific needs
• How the candidate assessed the situation
• Their approach to getting what they needed despite constraints
• Any creative solutions or workarounds they developed
• The outcome of their efforts
• Lessons learned about managing up with busy leadership

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prioritize what you absolutely needed versus what could wait?
• What systems or approaches did you develop to make the most of limited access?
• How did you balance persistence with respect for your manager's time?
• How has this experience influenced how you interact with busy leaders now?

Share a situation where you received negative feedback or pushback from a manager or leader. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific feedback received and context
• The candidate's initial reaction
• How they processed the feedback constructively
• Actions taken to address the feedback
• Follow-up with the manager
• Long-term impact on their relationship with the manager

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was most challenging about receiving this feedback?
• How did you separate emotional reactions from the substantive issues?
• What did you learn about yourself through this experience?
• How has this experience affected how you receive feedback now?

Describe a time when you identified a problem or opportunity that your manager or leadership wasn't aware of. How did you bring it to their attention?

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate identified the issue
• Their analysis of the situation before communicating upward
• Their approach to framing the issue for leadership
• Timing and method of communication chosen
• Response from leadership
• Results of their proactive communication

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine this was something that needed leadership attention?
• What preparation did you do before bringing it up?
• How did you frame the issue to make it relevant to your manager's priorities?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Tell me about a situation where you had to implement a decision from leadership that you didn't fully agree with or understand.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the decision and the candidate's reservations
• How they sought to understand the reasoning behind the decision
• Their approach to implementing it despite reservations
• How they communicated with their team (if applicable)
• The ultimate outcome
• What they learned about organizational alignment

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you seek clarification about the decision?
• What helped you commit to implementing it effectively despite your reservations?
• How did you maintain a positive attitude with others about the decision?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation?

Share an example of when you had to manage a relationship with a senior stakeholder who had different priorities than your direct manager.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the competing priorities
• How the candidate navigated the political landscape
• Their approach to balancing different stakeholder needs
• Communication strategies used with both parties
• Resolution of any conflicts
• Relationship outcomes and business impact

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify and understand the different priorities?
• What techniques did you use to find common ground?
• How did you maintain transparency with all parties?
• What did this experience teach you about managing complex stakeholder relationships?

Describe a situation where you had to help your manager or a senior leader understand a complex or technical issue that was outside their expertise.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the specific technical challenge
• How they assessed the leader's existing knowledge
• Their approach to simplifying information without oversimplifying
• Communication techniques used to ensure understanding
• Follow-up to confirm comprehension
• Impact of successful communication on the project or decision

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine the appropriate level of detail to share?
• What communication techniques or tools were most effective?
• How did you confirm they truly understood the information?
• What have you learned about communicating complex information upward?

Tell me about a time when you had to deliver bad news or raise a difficult issue with your manager or senior leadership.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and why it was challenging
• How they prepared for the conversation
• Their approach to framing the information
• Timing and method chosen for the conversation
• The leader's reaction and how they handled it
• Resolution and impact on their relationship

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you decide when and how to deliver this news?
• What specific language or approach did you use to present the information?
• How did you prepare for different possible reactions?
• What did this experience teach you about difficult upward communications?

Describe a situation where you noticed your manager or a leader was making a mistake or overlooking something important. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and the potential impact of the oversight
• How they evaluated whether and how to intervene
• Their approach to raising the issue respectfully
• The leader's response to their input
• The outcome of the situation
• What they learned about providing upward feedback

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you decide whether this was worth addressing?
• What specifically did you say and in what context?
• How did you ensure your approach was respectful rather than challenging?
• How has this experience influenced how you provide feedback to leadership now?

Tell me about a time when you had a manager who wasn't providing enough direction or support. How did you handle the situation?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific leadership gap and its impact on their work
• How they diagnosed the situation
• Proactive steps taken to get needed direction or support
• Other resources they leveraged
• The outcome of their efforts
• Lessons learned about self-sufficiency and managing up

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine what kind of support you needed most?
• What approaches were most effective in getting what you needed?
• How did you balance being self-sufficient with getting necessary guidance?
• How has this experience shaped how you work with managers now?

Share an example of when you successfully adjusted your work or communication style to better align with a manager's preferences.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific differences in style or preferences
• How they identified these preferences
• Changes they made to accommodate the manager's style
• Any challenges in making these adjustments
• Impact on their working relationship
• Broader lessons about flexibility and adaptation

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you discover or confirm your manager's preferences?
• Which adjustments were most challenging for you?
• How did you maintain your authenticity while adapting?
• What did this experience teach you about professional flexibility?

Describe a time when you disagreed with your manager's approach to solving a problem. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and nature of the disagreement
• How they evaluated whether to voice their disagreement
• Their approach to expressing an alternative viewpoint
• How they responded to any resistance
• Resolution of the situation
• Impact on their relationship and future interactions

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you decide whether this disagreement was worth addressing?
• What specific approach did you take to express your alternative view?
• How did you respond if your perspective wasn't adopted?
• What did this experience teach you about constructive disagreement with leadership?

Tell me about a situation where you built a particularly strong relationship with a senior leader who initially seemed difficult to work with.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial challenges in the relationship
• Their analysis of the leader's style and preferences
• Specific strategies used to build rapport and trust
• Key turning points in the relationship
• The eventual quality of the relationship
• Impact of this improved relationship on their work

Follow-Up Questions:

• What initial observations helped you understand how to work better with this person?
• What specific actions or approaches made the biggest difference?
• How did you demonstrate value to this leader?
• What did this experience teach you about relationship building with challenging personalities?

Share an example of when you had to manage expectations with your leadership about what could realistically be accomplished with available resources or timeframes.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and gap between expectations and reality
• Their approach to analyzing what was feasible
• How they communicated constraints constructively
• Alternative solutions or compromises offered
• Leadership's response and resolution
• Long-term impact on trust and expectation setting

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare for this potentially difficult conversation?
• What data or evidence did you use to support your position?
• How did you balance being solution-oriented while still being realistic?
• What did this experience teach you about managing expectations with leadership?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Managing Up considered an important skill to assess in candidates?

Managing Up directly impacts a candidate's ability to navigate organizational structures, secure resources, and align their work with company priorities. Candidates who excel at this competency tend to be more effective in their roles because they can build productive relationships with leadership, resolve obstacles efficiently, and position their work for maximum impact. This skill becomes increasingly important as organizations become more matrix-based and hierarchically complex.

How can I tell if a candidate is genuinely good at Managing Up versus just telling me what I want to hear?

Focus on the specificity and depth of their examples. Strong candidates will provide detailed accounts of real situations, including the challenges they faced, their thought processes, specific actions taken, and concrete results. Look for emotional authenticity in how they describe difficult interactions, and listen for complexity in their responses that acknowledges both their successes and learning moments.

Should I weigh Managing Up differently based on the seniority of the role I'm hiring for?

Yes. For entry-level positions, basic understanding and willingness to learn may be sufficient. For mid-level roles, look for demonstrated success in navigating management relationships across different styles. For senior positions, candidates should show sophisticated approaches to managing complex stakeholder relationships, including influencing at the executive level and aligning diverse organizational interests.

How many Managing Up questions should I include in an interview?

For most roles, 2-3 well-chosen questions with thorough follow-up are more valuable than many superficial questions. Select questions that are most relevant to your organizational context and the specific challenges of the role. If Managing Up is particularly critical for success in the position, consider making it a focus area across multiple interviewers to get different perspectives on this competency.

How can Managing Up skills be developed after hiring?

Once hired, employees can develop these skills through mentorship relationships, targeted feedback, observing successful peers, and formal training on organizational effectiveness. Managers can support development by explicitly discussing their own preferences, providing opportunities for exposure to senior leadership, and giving specific feedback on how employees can better support leadership objectives.

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