Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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Your relationship with your boss is critical to your success. But there’s another person who often has just as much influence over your career: your boss’s boss. Here’s how to foster that connection without undermining your manager.

o Connect with your boss’s boss on a personal level. Finding a common interest might take some digging, but it’s worthwhile to forge a bond that’s not solely related to work.

o Pass along compliments you receive to your manager. Your boss will likely send the kudos up the chain of command, since your success reflects positively on him, too.

o Volunteer for a cross-functional committee. This increases your exposure to new parts of the company and brings you more visibility.

o Remember who is #1. It shouldn’t look like you’re going around your manager. Find ways to publicly show loyalty to your boss and keep him in the loop. Copy him on all communication you have with his boss.

Adapted from “To Boost Your Career, Get to Know Your Boss’s Boss,” by Rebecca Knight

To check out that HBR article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.