Summary
In this episode, Christa answers a listener question about how to handle it when a senior leader assigns work directly, bypassing the listener’s immediate manager. The episode explains why this can create confusion around priorities and reporting lines, how to respond in the moment without sounding difficult, and how to loop in the direct manager in a way that protects relationships, transparency, and workflow.
Key Takeaways
• A skip-level assignment may be well-intended, but it can still create confusion around priorities, accountability, and communication.
• The first response should be calm, appreciative, and clarifying: what is needed, by when, and how urgent it is compared with current work.
• Looping in your manager is not tattling or being difficult; it is how you prevent surprises and keep priorities aligned.
• If it becomes a pattern, address the workflow directly with your boss and ask for a simple process for handling future senior-leader requests.
Additional Resources
The Management Center. “How to Manage Skip-Level Relationships.” September 13, 2021. https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/how-to-manage-skip-level-relationships/.
Lena Reinhard. “Skip-Level Meetings: Common Pitfalls And How to Avoid Them.” March 12, 2024. https://www.lenareinhard.com/articles/skip-level-meetings-one-to-ones-common-pitfalls-how-to-avoid-tips.
Forbes Coaches Council. “20 Tips To ‘Manage Up’ And Build Strong Relationships With Leadership.” June 24, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/06/24/20-tips-to-manage-up-and-build-strong-relationships-with-leadership/.
Video Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Listener Question
01:24 Personality, Politics, or Both?
03:03 The Direct Route
04:41 A Process for Boss (or Boss’s Boss) Defensiveness
08:10 Additional Resources
09:00 Wrap Up & Submitting Your Question
Keywords
managing up, skip-level manager, boss’s boss, workplace communication, priority conflicts, chain of command, workplace boundaries, direct manager, senior leadership, stakeholder management, assignment clarity, workplace politics, leadership communication, Ask Christa
Music licensed through Soundstripe, Code: LQ0F7OXXGKMXQQ3O, CNSJYXKPKUZWIM7J, IW08IKTQDHMGVPMH, 7DEF2O1V5SCWSB9M
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