10-07-2026
Wouldn’t it be magical if personal chemistry alone was the foundation of great relationships — in marriages and families or at work with bosses and co-workers? Alas, it’s hardly that simple, even with co-workers and bosses. Instead, they require effort, discernment and a willingness to understand how colleagues and leaders work.
In their popular Substack, Finding Equilibrium: Two Economists on Higher Ed's Future, David Hummels, distinguished professor of economics and dean emeritus at the Daniels School of Business, and Jay Akridge, professor of agricultural economics, Trustee Chair in Teaching and Learning Excellence and provost emeritus at Purdue University, share guidance on “managing up” and managing horizontally to achieve more wins at work. In their first post in the series, they focus on the manager relationship.
“You as unit leader have the primary responsibility of building the bridge that connects the success of your unit to the success of the boss’s unit and the institution as a whole,” they write.
Their advice for unit leaders easily applies to all members of an organization.
Ignore the work of relationship building — even at work — at your own peril. A poorly tended relationship can constrain success all around. It can impact your own tenure. Misalignment with a boss impacts your freedom to operate, access to resources and opportunities, and job satisfaction. When a boss is blindsided by an important decision or sensitive issue, “trust disappears.”
Hummels and Akridge offer seasoned guidance for calibrating with a boss: Learn their priorities, communication preferences and decision-making style, then respond accordingly. For instance, how does your boss want data for decision-making? If a boss wants a one-page summary, do not hand them a binder. If they are deliberative, build support for an initiative over time. Just as important, clarify how much decision-making latitude you have before a high-stakes moment forces the question.
You can read the full series, including posts on Building Trust, Managing Up, Managing Across, Managing Your Team, Managing Information, and Managing Your Time.
