Managing up is about making your boss's job easier, which earns you disproportionate influence. The solution-first approach changes how your boss sees you: you stop being the person who reports problems and become the person who solves them.

Timing your asks matters more than most people realize. People make better decisions when they are fresh, so present new ideas in the morning, and never bring a new initiative to a boss who just walked out of a stressful meeting.