Young individuals are being encouraged to adopt a strategy that can be defined as "managing upwards" to gain more professional satisfaction, says Andy Molinsky, a professor of organizational behavior at Brandeis International Business School.

The hashtag #managingupwards currently has 5.5 million views on TikTok. Career experts on the platform suggest that this approach is the key to tailoring your job to your needs while also pleasing your direct supervisor.

A young woman provides an example of a situation where the boss requests extra work. She emphasizes that "it's crucial to push back but do so in a smart way". If you've completed all your work during your paid hours and are still asked to stay overtime, it's best to discuss it with your manager and provide examples of all the work you've done, she says.

"The purpose of bringing this up with your manager again is to say, 'I want your advice. I want to understand. Can you help me understand if I should do something differently?'", she writes.

She advises her TikTok friends to be "reasonable" and "emotionally neutral" to avoid conflict and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

In another video with nearly 500,000 views, TikToker @cecexie shares "the invisible rules of starting your first corporate job", in which she states that "managing upwards will make your life infinitely easier and also help make sure you do not cancel things because of work".

TikToker Marie Carmen Pizzaro says the advice she received from a mentor was to manage her relationship with her boss in a way that creates a strong bond, allowing her to express her ideas, needs and desires.

Brandeis experts say that the idea of managing upwards helps "cultivate" the impression your boss has of you and also inspires respect for your skills.

This approach can even accelerate your career, as it signals to your boss that you're a "future leader," according to Wladislaw Rivkin, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Trinity Business School.

However, some TikTokers are not convinced that managing their relationship with their boss in this way is healthy, arguing that it signals working in a toxic environment.

In a video with over 63,000 views, another TikToker argues that there is a power imbalance when employees have to manage their relationship with their superiors because it is work for which they are not compensated.

"I'm so fed up with this phrase. I'm tired of the idea that managing upwards is offered as 'career advice.' And the reason this drives me crazy is that it's not the responsibility of subordinates to tame their boss and push them to be a better manager", writes the young person on TikTok.

The idea of striving to please one's superiors could be a burden for already stressed employees, as Generation Z is known for having higher expectations of flexibility and work-life balance.

Generation Z, the newest generation in the workforce, is eager to shape their future within organizations, and managing upwards could be a surefire way to get them to support their ambitions and needs, concludes Business Insider.