Explore

Managing up to get what you want and to give your boss what they need

A simple template to help you manager you boss better inspired by a Tweet thread from Wes Kao.

Most people waste their boss’ time. In this super insightful Tweet thread, Wes Kao talks about how you can manage your boss better. You heard that right! You manage your managinsier to get what you want. At the same time, your boss gets what they need.

⁠

One of the tips Wes talks about is making it clear to your boss when something is an FYI versus an action item your boss needs to take. If your boss needs to follow up with you on whether he or she needs to take an action, it slows everything down. Here’s a simple template to give your boss the right amount of context on the different tasks you’re working on. It sends Slack messages with an action item for your boss to do in order for you to complete your task:

⁠

Screen Capture on 2022-03-24 at 13-12-13.gif

⁠

How to use this template with your boss

After you copy this template (click here

Copy doc

⁠

or Copy doc in the top right), you can integrate this doc with Slack (more on this later). Enter you boss’s email or Slack handle below after you’ve integrated with Slack.

Description of each column in this task list:

Task name - Main project or task you’re working on

Updates/Changelog - Timeline of updates you’ve made to the project, context/recommendations, etc.

Type - Dropdown indicates if the task is an “FYI” or if it requires your boss’ action

Notes on next action - A quick message you want to Slack to your boss with what they need to do

Slack preview - A preview of the Slack message that gets sent to your boss (you can hide this column to reduce clutter)

Send Slack - Sends over the message in the Slack preview column to your boss!

⁠

Your boss’s email or Slack handle:

⁠

Add task

⁠

Clear template

⁠

Task name

Updates / Changelog

Type

Notes on next action

Slack preview

Send Slack

Client pitch deck

Open

Needs Action

Approve pitch deck before I send it out tomorrow

Hi, I need this next action from you: Approve pitch deck before I send it out tomorrow. Related to this task: Client pitch deck

Research investor updates

Open

FYI

Monthly report

Open

Needs Action

Need access to GA to see traffic data

Hi, I need this next action from you: Need access to GA to see traffic data. Related to this task: Monthly report

Career goals

Open

Needs Action

Intros to other people on other teams

Hi, I need this next action from you: Intros to other people on other teams. Related to this task: Career goals

TikTok strategy

Open

FYI

There are no rows in this table

⁠

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.