How to deal with an unclear manager

How good designers get what they need to do great work

Hey, Miranda here 👋

You might have opened this thinking:
“Why would it be my job to manage my manager?”

Or maybe you can relate all too well — your manager is great at the business side, but doesn’t quite get design. Or they’re kind, but not really advocating for you. Or maybe they’re just too busy to give you the direction and feedback you need.

👉 It’s rare to land a manager who perfectly matches your working style, career stage, and support needs.

Great design managers are hard to find — and even the good ones are often stretched thin.

That’s where learning to “manage up” comes in. It’s not about manipulation or politics — it’s about setting yourself up to succeed despite the gaps in support.

Below are a few situations where you’ll likely need to manage your manager — and what to do about them 👇

1. You’re not getting the feedback or direction you need

Your manager keeps saying, “You’re doing great!” — but you still feel unsure if your work is actually meeting expectations.

🧭 What this looks like:

• Vague or inconsistent feedback like “This looks good, but more could have been done”

• You only hear from them during performance reviews.

• You’re unsure how your work connects to the team, business goals, or other priorities.

💡 What to do:

• Ask for clarity upfront: “Can we align on what success looks like for this project?”

• Schedule regular 1:1’s focused on feedback, blockers, and growth (send it ahead of time).

• Bring options and tradeoffs to discussions — it helps guide the conversation and makes it easier for them to respond meaningfully.