Trying to Build Influence With Executives? Avoid These 4 Mistakes.

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Key Takeaways Managing up is a skill that’s rarely taught but increasingly important as you climb the corporate ladder, and it’s particularly difficult when the person you’re managing up to is an executive.

There are four common mistakes you must avoid: not knowing the executive’s goals, failing to adapt to the leader, providing too much context and not marketing the value of your work.

Managing up to executives is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with intention and consistent practice.

Managing up to executives is one of the most underrated skills in business. Although managing up is tricky at any level, it’s particularly difficult when the person you’re managing up to is a vice president or C-suite leader.

As an executive coach, I know that influencing is a skill that many leaders want to get better at. It becomes increasingly important as you climb the corporate ladder, yet it’s rarely taught and even more rarely practiced effectively.

Here are some of the most common missteps professionals make when managing up to executives and a few ways to start doing it better.

1. Not knowing the executive’s goals

Influencing as a leader is about more than just being a strong communicator. You must deeply understand the goals of the person you’re communicating with if you want your message to land and move them to action. Without that foundation, you’re essentially talking at them, not with them.

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