Managing Up: How to Forge an Effective Relationship With Those Above You

Everyone has a boss. And anyone who has aspired to move up the corporate ladder knows that their relationship with those they report to is crucial. In Managing Up Rosanne Badowski offers a straightforward, entertaining, no-holds-barred account of what it takes to make your relationship with your boss work to your advantage, no matter where you stand in the corporate hierarchy.

Told through rich, colorful anecdotes about her years spent working with one of the smartest, most demanding and dynamic business leaders of the twentieth century, legendary GE CEO Jack Welch, Badowski reveals the secrets to career success she has gleaned over the years. At heart, it’s about working with the person above you to create a productive and effective partnership.

Everyone is a manager, in one way or another, Badowski points out. She discusses first-hand what it’s like to have to be a mind reader, to anticipate the future, to plan for the unexpected, and to perform the impossible. With refreshing candor and a hint of attitude, Badowski’s advice is unlike any other. She advises us that “Impatience is a virtue,” to “Have no shame,” and to “Beware the too-quiet office.” Having worked in one of the most challenging, high-profile corporate environments anywhere, no one knows more about prioritizing, about making decisions on behalf of your boss, about sifting through a daily barrage of data and information, about multitasking at warp speed, and exhibiting grace under fire. Ultimately, Badowski says, excelling at what you do is about a shared passion for the job.

Managing Up is an invaluable guide for managing your career and juggling responsibilities with finesse and confidence. It should become a management bible for anyone hoping to get ahead in their profession.


From the Hardcover edition.

After fourteen years of working shoulder to shoulder with GE tough guy Jack Welch, Roseanne Badowski is not afraid of what she calls the "s-word." She argues that all of us are secretaries as well as managers. In Managing Up, Badowski leverages lessons she learned in building a stellar relationship with her boss. She offers smart and solid advice beginning with her "Can you start on Monday?" interview with Welch, and then turning to the skills of "navigating a boss Monday through Friday." The book' s chapter titles may sound prosaic, but her approach crackles with energy and fresh ideas. For example, she writes about trust by including "time-tested phrases for breaking bad news." She details the perils of being unprepared and puts in a good word for nagging. She also makes a persuasive argument for the advantages of cultivating impatience to enhance productivity. With splashy anecdotes and checklists, Badowski offers realistic and and disciplined counsel. Hero worshippers be warned: Although Welch wrote the book's introduction, Badowski is such an engaging no-nonsense advisor that she becomes the most compelling manager represented in her book. --Barbara Mackoff