Managing your manager
How to make your manager easy to work with. Status updates, calibration, asking for help without sounding helpless.
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How to ask for more work without sounding desperate
The exact Slack message, the timing, and how to get real scope — not the busywork your manager hands out to look responsive.
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A reader asks: I'm told to be proactive, but get snapped at when I try
When 'be more proactive' and 'don't make me repeat myself' come from the same manager, the rule you're missing isn't effort — it's signaling.
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A reader asks: my manager gives zero feedback. How do I get some?
When your manager isn't giving you feedback, the issue is rarely that they don't have any. They don't know what to give. Three questions that unlock it.
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Saying no without saying 'no'
Saying no in an office isn't about courage. It's about the five or six phrases that say no while keeping the working relationship intact.
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The one sentence that ends a good 1:1
Most first-year 1:1s end with 'thanks, see you next week.' Here's the one sentence that turns a decent 1:1 into one your manager remembers — and uses on your behalf.
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A reader asks: is there a right way to push back on a deadline?
Pushback done badly sounds like an excuse. Pushback done well sounds like a request for a tradeoff. Here's the wording most first-year employees are missing.
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Manager 1:1 agenda (the one that makes you look prepared)
A weekly 1:1 structure that produces decisions, not vibes. Updates, blockers, calibration, and the discipline of recommend-don't-ask.
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How to ask questions at work (script and examples)
Exact wording for asking questions without sounding clueless — and without wasting anyone's time.