Managing up

Escalation

Escalate early without simply passing the problem upward.

Taking a problem to your manager.

Message · Application framework · No. 130

The shape

Issue
Impact
Actions taken
Options
Recommendation
Decision or support needed

Why that order

It tells your manager six things in order: here is the problem, here is the consequence, here is what I already did, here are the choices, here is what I would do, and here is what I need from you. Escalation without the third and fifth is delegation upward.

A worked example

Issue: The vendor has not delivered the API build.
Impact: Friday's integration testing is at risk.
Actions taken: We have followed up twice and asked for an interim build.
Options: Wait for the final build, or begin testing with a temporary mock.
Recommendation: I recommend the mock so testing continues.
Support: I need approval to allocate one developer to that today.

You have it right when

The escalation demonstrates ownership rather than transferring it.

Built from

An application framework is a package. These are the reusable shapes inside it.

Mostly serves Message, and reaches into Intent.

A framework tells you what shape the answer takes. It cannot tell you whether shape is what you are short of, and for most people it is not. Which one is yours, and whether a framework is the right instrument at all, is what a Discovery Call is for.

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