Hard to Fire · Chapter 5 · Diagnostic

The Manager Dependency Map

Find one burden your manager would notice if it disappeared, and one low-risk way to take weight off it.

Give this twenty honest minutes. Flattering yourself defeats the purpose. And do not hover around your manager like a golden retriever with a spreadsheet. Find one real burden, make one safe contribution, and report the result without theater.

Step 1

Manager's top five pain points

List what actually creates stress, frustration, or time loss. Add one contribution you can make without promising to solve the entire thing. Then choose the one burden worth carrying forward.

Choose #1Pain point 1Your safe contribution

Choose #2Pain point 2Your safe contribution

Choose #3Pain point 3Your safe contribution

Choose #4Pain point 4Your safe contribution

Choose #5Pain point 5Your safe contribution

Step 2

The upward view

Look at accountability and recurring work, not personality. You are finding work your manager would gladly stop carrying and has the authority to hand you.

What outcome is your manager accountable for?What recurring issue consumes their time or attention?What makes your manager's work easier to defend with their boss?What creates avoidable credibility or delivery risk for them?Which necessary task do they repeatedly delay or avoid?Where can you help without crossing authority, data, or team boundaries?

Step 3

The Manager Value Test

A real problem, a visible result, and very little drama. Rate the current quarter, not the best week you ever had.

Problems Solved

Rate 1–5

How many of your manager's real pain points are you actively reducing?

Visibility

Rate 1–5

Does your manager know what you're doing? Do their peers?

Political Risk

Rate 1–5

Are your solutions creating problems with other teams, other managers, or other departments?

Problems Solved 4+Visibility 3+Political Risk 2 or below

Target profileComplete all three ratings

Diagnosis—

Score to move—

Chosen burden: Choose one pain point above

Your low-risk contribution: Add the low-risk contribution you can make

Your next conversation

Read the pattern, then stop

Visibility gap: The work is happening, but your manager cannot describe it yet. Use one short update or one brief status in your next one-on-one.

Sweet spot: Your manager knows what you do, it reduces real pain, and it does not create enemies. Keep doing it and don't get cute.

Sustainability problem: The work is good and visible, but it is creating blowback. Dial back the scope or support your manager's agenda instead of running your own.

Relevance problem: You are not connected to the problems that keep your manager up at night. Go back to the pain-point list and choose one safe contribution this week.

Political red flag: High political risk can erase the benefit of excellent work. Check whether you are solving problems with your manager or around them.

Next: Carry the five candidate problems into the Pain-to-Power Matrix. That worksheet sorts reward from political safety before you volunteer for anything ambitious.

One useful burden. One visible result. No parade.