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Managing Up: The Skill Every Growing Team Must Learn

February 11, 2026 • Melissa Franks

0:00 | 30:48

As teams grow, the way work gets done has to change.

What worked in a small, scrappy business starts to break once multiple layers, managers, and priorities appear. Employees feel overwhelmed, managers lose visibility, and execution slows down, not because people aren’t capable, but because communication hasn’t evolved.

In this episode, Melissa speaks directly to employees and middle managers about a critical skill growing teams must learn: managing up.

Managing up isn’t pushback or resistance. It’s a communication framework that helps teams clarify priorities, manage capacity, and deliver better results without burnout.

You’ll learn why “just do what you’re asked” stops working, how to synthesize feedback and requests, and a practical managing up framework you can use immediately.

This episode sets the foundation for next week’s conversation on what owners and leaders must change so managing up actually works.

If you're business is growing and you are ready for some outside input, schedule a call with us at https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices

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