Take ownership & grow your career by managing your Mgr by Pendleton Jones

Presentation Abstract & Speaker Bio

***Want to grow in your career, take on more interesting work, or finally get that promotion, but feel unsure how to make it happen? ***

Many people assume career growth is mostly about working harder or waiting to be noticed. In reality, the people who advance fastest learn how to work with their manager, not around them.

In this talk, we’ll explore the concept of managing up from a manager’s perspective. We’ll break down why well-intentioned managers still miss signals, how promotions and growth decisions actually get made, and why so many 1:1s turn into pleasant but unproductive conversations. Most importantly you’ll learn what you can do to turn your manager into an ally in your career, clearly communicate what you want, and take more ownership of your growth without being awkward, political, or performative.

Whether you’re early in your career or already senior and feeling stuck, this session will give you concrete tools to get more value out of your manager relationship and be more intentional about where your career is headed.

What We’ll Cover

• What “managing up” really means
• Why managers don’t always “get it” (even when they care)
• How managers actually think about performance, growth, and promotions
• Turning 1:1s from casual check-ins into career-accelerating conversations
• How to ask for growth, scope, or promotion without making it weird
• Simple frameworks you can start using immediately

I’m an engineering leader with over 10 years of experience spanning individual contributor, tech lead, and people management roles, including leading and scaling engineering teams at fast-growing companies. Over the course of my career, I’ve hired engineers, led promotions, delivered difficult feedback, built teams from scratch, and partnered closely with leadership on performance and career progression.

I’ve also been on the other side of the table trying to navigate unclear expectations, stalled growth, and managers who were overloaded or misaligned. That combination has given me a clear view into the gap between how career growth feels as an individual contributor and how it actually works from a manager’s seat.

This talk is grounded in real conversations I’ve had as a manager, feedback and coaching I’ve received from my owner managers, patterns I’ve seen across teams, and lessons I wish I had learned much earlier in my own career. My goal is to equip you with the information you need to demystify the manager-employee relationship and take ownership over your career growth.

As always, the meeting is free.. Looking forward to seeing you!!
Gaelen