September/October, 2025  

Managing Up is Essential for Career Success

Kay Fittes, October, 2025

What does it mean to navigate your boss?  Perhaps you are familiar with the term: managing up?  The Harvard Business Review defines managing up as “being the most effective employee you can be, creating value for your boss and your company.”  If you do not have a good relationship with your manager, chances are life isn’t going to be easy, and your career could stall or even derail.

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Kay’s Consulting Corner

Each month in this section, Kay offers actionable career consulting tips.

Navigating Your Boss Like a Pro

Your happiness and success in your job relies heavily on the relationship you have with your boss.  Unfortunately, most people interact with their boss as they prefer to interact.  Interacting with your boss like she prefers is a smart career strategy.  It takes a decision to manage up, awareness, and a plan.  Here are three actions you can take right away that will jump start this smart career move.

1. Study.  If you already have personality assessments for your department, study the assessment of your boss.  If this information isn”t available, ask your boss for the opportunity for your entire department to do an assessment.  Tell him you are eager to be a better team member and knowing what makes the team tick will benefit the productivity and results of the team.
   
   
2. Assess. Based on the personality of your boss, identify three tweaks to your communication style to make.  Do you need to be less chatty?  Do you need to start speaking his language more effectively?  Do you need to purposefully interact with him about non-work-related topics?  It all depends on the personality of your manager.
   
   
3. Track.  Pay attention to how your manager responds to you.  Does she seem more open to you since you have made some changes?  Does she seem less annoyed?  Has she given you positive feedback?  Keeping track of what works and doesn’t work will be an ongoing managing up tool that will serve you well.  Interested in more information about managing up with specific types of managers?  The book Managing Up by Mary Abbajay is a must read.
   

Feeling a little nervous about managing up?  It will be a completely different way of dealing with your boss.  It’s understandable if you are uncomfortable about this career move.  Let’s do a complimentary 45-minute consultation to determine if I might be the right person to direct you in managing up.  Email Kay at kay@highheeledsuccess.com or call (513) 561-4288 to schedule.

Spotlight:  Tamara White – The Power of Self–Care

Tamara White is the founder of Self-Care Providers, an organization dedicated to helping women and professionals embrace self-care as the foundation of a healthy and fulfilling life.  With a compassionate approach and deep understanding of the challenges people face in balancing career, family, and personal well-being, Tamara inspires others to cultivate sustainable practices that restore balance, reduce stress, and build resilience.

Tamara first met Kay through the American Women’s Business Association in Cincinnati.  “I joined the organization about two years ago,” she says, “and it’s been an incredible experience.  Through it, I’ve connected with many amazing women that I might not have otherwise met – and Kay was one of those inspiring connections.”

When Tamara began preparing for a presentation she called The Power of Self-Care, she was both excited and nervous.  “Working with Kay was truly a wonderful experience,” she recalls.  ”Kay walked alongside me through the entire process.  She offered thoughtful, constructive feedback that helped me polish my delivery and gave me the confidence to share my message with clarity and impact.”

The results spoke for themselves.  “The presentation was very well received,” Tamara says.  “Thanks to Kay’s guidance, I was able to deliver it with a new level of confidence and ease.  Her support not only helped me strengthen my presentation skills but also gave me the courage to step more fully into my role as a speaker and teacher.”

When asked what she would say to others considering working with Kay, Tamara’s response is heartfelt.  “I highly recommend coaching with Kay.  She has a gift for helping women discover their voice and cultivate the confidence they need to present themselves authentically and powerfully.  Whether you’re stepping onto a stage or simply learning to speak up in new ways, Kay will help you shine.”

Tamara’s signature talk, The Power of Self-Care, has since grown into a collaborative wellness offering created with musician, sound healer, and life coach Kelly Richey.  Together, Tamara and Kelly design wellness programs for corporations, healthcare organizations, and community groups through their business, Self-Care Providers.

Their shared programs combine Tamara’s compassionate guidance with Kelly’s live healing music on the handpan and Native American flute, creating deeply restorative experiences that invite participants to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.  Their philosophy is simple: “The Best Health-Care is Self-Care.”

From one-hour workshops to full weekend retreats, their offerings include Chair Yoga – a gentle, restorative practice led by Tamara that incorporates breathwork, mindfulness, and guided meditation, and Healing Music, performed by Kelly, who uses sound as a form of emotional and energetic healing.

With over 40 years of combined experience in healthcare, personal development, music, and the healing arts, Tamara and Kelly bring heart–centered programs to those seeking balance and renewal in both their personal and professional lives.

Together, they remind us that self–care isn’t selfish –it’s the foundation for showing up fully in life, work, and relationships.

Learn more about their work at: Self-Care Providers.

High-Heeled Success^® supports Dress for Success through donations of clothing, time and money.  We offer complimentary seats at every workshop for women participating in the Dress for Success program.

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Website:  https://www.highheeledsuccess.com

Email:  kay@highheeledsuccess.com

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