Manage Up Without Overworking: Create Clear Expectations With Your Manager

Managing up with your boss: how to set expectations with your manager and avoid burnout at work Project kickoff conversation tips and smarter 1-on-1s to help you manage your manager and align on goals with your boss Walk away with practical scripts and steps to create clear expectations at work without overworking or people-pleasing

What You'll Learn:

• Use a simple 3-part framework to manage up with your boss so you’re co-creating expectations instead of guessing what they want
• Run a quick project kickoff conversation that clarifies scope, priorities, constraints, and success criteria before you start the work
• Turn your recurring 1-on-1s with your manager into alignment meetings that prevent rework, fire drills, and unnecessary overtime
• Ask better questions that surface hidden constraints and trade-offs so you stop overcommitting and quietly burning out
• Create a two-way feedback loop with your boss that makes it safe to renegotiate deadlines and workload when realities change
• Apply research-backed goal-setting tactics to define realistic outcomes and metrics that both you and your manager agree on
• Capture agreements in writing (lightweight notes or recap emails) so expectations stay clear, visible, and easier to protect over time
• Translate what you learned into one concrete action this week so you start managing up without overworking in your current role