Basic Concept #60
It sounds counter-intuitive at first: you crushed your goal, closed the deal, solved the problem and instead of celebrating, your manager looks… uncomfortable. Or worse, blindsided.
What just happened?
Simple: you surprised them. And that’s something most managers hate.
Not because they’re ungrateful or because they don’t trust you, but because in their world surprises, even good ones, create risk.
Why Bad Surprises Are Obvious
This part’s easy. If a deadline is missed, a client escalates, or a process fails and your manager hears about it from someone else, that’s not just a setback. That’s a loss of control and a hit to credibility. Now they’re reacting instead of managing.
Worse: they can’t protect you. They can’t prepare the room, soften the blow, frame the context, or buy you time. You didn’t just surprise them: you left them exposed.
But Even Good Surprises Create Problems
You hit a target early. Found a creative workaround. Closed a deal they didn’t know was close. Sounds great, right?
Except they didn’t plan for it. They didn’t align their peers. They didn’t flag it upward. Now it’s harder to manage the narrative, and managers do manage narratives. Stakeholders get confused, budgets get unbalanced, teams feel out of sync. It’s not about ego: it’s about system integrity.
So your “win” becomes… complicated.
What Managers Actually Want
They want foresight. Early signals. A heads-up before impact. Because that gives them options. They can shape the story. Prepare the environment. Buy you cover, amplify your work, or step in if needed. That’s their job! But only if they’re in the loop.
And that’s why managers value predictability over brilliance, early warning over heroics and alignment over surprise.
They don’t want perfect. They want visibility.
Don’t Hide Your Progress
If things are going well, share that early. “We’re ahead of schedule. Might have something to show by Friday.” That’s not bragging — that’s risk reduction. It lets your manager position you smartly.
If things are off track, don’t wait. “I’m seeing some slippage. Can we check in on mitigation?” That’s not weakness, that’s ownership.
And if you’re not sure, say so. “There’s movement, but I need a day to see where it’s going.” That’s maturity.
Managers don’t want you to have all the answers. They just want to not be caught off guard.
Final Thought
It’s tempting to think that results speak for themselves. But inside a system (especially a political one) nothing speaks for itself. Context does, framing does, trust does.
Trust gets built when your manager knows: “If something’s coming, I’ll hear it from them first.”
That’s a partnership, that’s seniority and that’s how you rise. You are reliable.
So remember: Managers hate surprises — good or bad.
Give them signal, give them time, and let them do their job. It’ll make your job a lot easier too.