The HBR Work Smart Collection (4 Books)

6 How to Have a Successful Meeting with Your Boss’s Boss

by Melody Wilding

How well do you know your manager’s manager? How much time have you spent with them without your boss present? If you’re like most of the professionals I work with, then the answer to both of these questions is probably “very little.” And yet managing up doesn’t stop at influencing your immediate boss. It also requires that you build relationships with leaders further up your chain of command, including with your “grandmanager” or “big boss.”

One of the most effective ways to forge a connection with those above you is through a skip-level meeting—a one-on-one between you and your boss’s boss. It’s an opportunity to communicate directly with a higher-up whom you may ...