Your boss's boss wants a one-on-one. This is either a gift or a test. Learn to navigate the power dynamics above your manager without burning bridges below.
Part of
Managing Up →
The most underrated workplace skill. From making your work visible to your manager, to pushing back on bad decisions and navigating your boss's boss — practice the conversations that shape how your career is seen from above.
Skills you'll build
What happens in this story4 scenarios
A calendar invite from your boss's boss lands in your inbox with no context. Your manager hasn't mentioned it. You have 48 hours to figure out whether this is an opportunity or a trap.
You're sitting across from someone who controls your manager's future — and yours. They're being friendly. Every answer you give is being weighed against things you can't see.
The VP leans forward and asks what you really think about your manager's leadership. The honest answer and the safe answer are not the same — and they know it.
The meeting went well. Now the hard part — turning a good impression into something real without making your manager feel like you went around them.
More stories in this course
View all →The Invisible Work
You're doing great work. Nobody above you knows it. Learn to make your contributions visible without bragging — and change how your manager sees you.
4 scenarios →The Pushback
Your manager is wrong and you know it. Practice how to disagree upward — firmly, professionally, and in a way that makes them glad you spoke.
4 scenarios →The Promotion Ask
You have been doing the job above you for six months. Time to be paid for it. Navigate the conversation that most people delay too long.
4 scenarios →The Skip-Level
Your boss's boss wants a one-on-one. This is either a gift or a test. Learn to navigate the power dynamics above your manager without burning bridges below.
Start free →4 scenarios · 25 min · No account required to try