Managing Upwards Training Materials

These managing upwards training materials give trainers everything they need to help employees develop communication skills, use emotional intelligence techniques, and gain clarity on upward feedback so they can build stronger relationships with their managers, collaborate better, and improve performance.

• Explain what managing upwards means in the workplace, common misconceptions, and give some examples
• Lead small group discussions on manager communication styles so participants can share experiences and ideas
• Teach simple ways to phrase upward feedback so it’s clear, constructive, and easier for managers to respond to
• Run activities and exercises, helping participants leave with clearer ways to handle day-to-day communication with their managers

Examples of the Managing Upwards Training Materials

Click on the slides below to magnify and see the examples

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Key Topics Covered in These Managing Upwards Training Materials

These materials are designed to cover the kinds of situations employees deal with every day when working with a manager, and how to handle them more effectively.

• What managing upwards is all about and workplace examples
• Learning to recognize the different manager styles and use the best style in your interactions
• Ways to communicate with managers so that information does not get lost or misunderstood
• How to give feedback to a manager without it feeling awkward or confrontational
• Handling situations where instructions are unclear or keep shifting
• When to speak up, when to ask questions, and when it’s better to step back
• Understanding your own communication habits and patterns

Format & Flexibility: All materials are provided in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and PDF formats, so you can easily edit, customize, and deliver professional training tailored to your organization or clients.

Learning Outcomes

Using these training materials, participants will be able to:

• identify their manager’s communication and decision-making style and adjust their approach accordingly
• communicate updates, ideas, and concerns more clearly to avoid misunderstandings
• use simple techniques to give upward feedback in a constructive and professional way
• handle conversations where expectations, priorities, or instructions are unclear
• respond more effectively to feedback, pressure, and changing demands from managers
• apply practical approaches to build stronger, more productive working relationships with managers
• reflect on their own communication habits and make more effective choices in day-to-day interactions

Who Are These Managing Upwards Training Materials For?

These materials are designed for trainers and L&D teams running sessions that help employees handle communication with managers more effectively.

For buyers:

• Trainers running sessions on communication, feedback, or workplace relationships
• HR teams looking to strengthen how employees interact with managers day to day
• L&D professionals developing programs around influence and collaboration
• Consultants delivering workshops on influence without authority or working across teams

For participants you’ll be training:

• Employees who need to get their ideas across more clearly to their manager
• Team members dealing with mixed messages, shifting priorities, or unclear direction
• People stepping into roles involving more responsibility, who might need to influence without formal authority
• Professionals working across different teams or who report to more than one stakeholder

Suggested Workshop Format & Delivery Options

• Designed for a 1-day workshop
• Can be delivered as a 2-hour or half-day session as needed, as the materials are editable
• Suitable for in-person training, virtual sessions, or blended delivery formats

Why is Managing Upwards Training Important?

Most employees are expected to manage their relationship with their manager, but very few are ever shown how to do this properly.

Without knowing how to manage upwards, messages get misunderstood, priorities drift, and small frustrations start to build over time.

So how should an employee, or even a manager reporting to a more senior leader, communicate in a way that actually works? How do you stop ideas from being overlooked, or raise feedback that feels difficult to bring up?

Managing upwards skills give employees a more practical way to deal with these situations. That might mean being clearer about priorities, handling feedback conversations calmly, or raising concerns without creating unnecessary tension.

When this is done well, communication becomes more straightforward, expectations are easier to manage, and working relationships tend to run more smoothly. For organizations, that usually means fewer misunderstandings and more consistent day-to-day performance.

This is where focused training becomes useful, giving trainers a structured way to help employees build these skills using realistic workplace scenarios.

Detailed Curriculum Included in These Managing Upwards Training Materials

These materials are structured to guide you through delivering training on this topic in a logical sequence.

Understanding Managing Upwards

• What managing upwards looks like in practice and why it’s often misunderstood
• Reframing it as a relationship-based skill built on clarity, awareness, and mutual respect
• Workplace dynamics and navigating hierarchy with confidence

Adapting to Manager Communication Styles

• Different managers’ communication and decision-making preferences
• Adjusting message style, timing, and delivery to improve understanding
• Reducing misalignment by aligning with expectations and priorities

Communicating with Clarity and Confidence

• Using the “3 Cs” (Clear, Concise, Constructive) in everyday communication
• Practicing how to share updates, ideas, and concerns effectively
• Using structured approaches to improve clarity and impact

Giving Upward Feedback

• Using simple frameworks to give feedback in a constructive, professional way
• Practicing how to frame feedback using “I” language and focus on impact
• Building trust through clearer, more balanced feedback conversations

Handling Challenging Conversations

• Responding to situations such as vague instructions, ignored ideas, or unclear priorities
• Managing emotional reactions and keeping conversations productive
• Raising concerns and setting boundaries without creating unnecessary tension

Applying Managing Upwards in Practice

• Personal communication habits and patterns reflection exercise
• Developing simple scripts and approaches for real workplace situations
• Translating learning into day-to-day actions with managers

Related Training Materials

If you are looking for other related training materials in addition to these managing upwards training course materials, you might find the following also worth considering.

• Emotional Intelligence Training Materials – Help employees better manage empathy, clarity, and control.
• Giving Feedback Training Materials – Reinforce effective communication and how to give and receive feedback
• Difficult conversations training materials
• View all communication skills materials for trainers

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• Fully editable (slides, trainer notes, exercises)
• Ready to use immediately in your training sessions
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Dr Valeria Lo Iacono

Founder at Symonds Research Training Materials

With a PhD in Sociology and 25+ years in education, Valeria has taught at leading universities and worked as a researcher. She specializes in creating professional training materials trusted by organizations like Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Yale - helping trainers deliver impactful sessions in the workplace, education, and beyond.

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