Managing up when progress stalls: A survival guide for ecommerce leaders.
You’ve been tasked with delivering growth. But you’re stuck in the middle between a budget that doesn’t stretch far enough, leadership asking for results they won’t fund, and internal politics that slow everything down.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Plenty of smart ecommerce teams face this daily. You’ve got ideas, but not the influence. You’ve got plans, but no permission. So, how do you move forward, without burning out or checking out?
Here’s how to manage up when the real blocker is above your pay grade.
1. REFRAME THE ASK.
Don’t just push for more budget—push for clarity. Instead of saying, “We need £50K for CRO,” say: “Here’s what happens if we keep running untested. We’ll keep spending on traffic that doesn’t convert—and that’s costing us [insert figure].”
Leaders don’t say no to outcomes. They say no to vague asks or unclear trade-offs. Make your request harder to dismiss by showing:
- What’s at risk if nothing changes
- What could be gained with a small step
- What you’re doing to mitigate risk in the meantime
This moves the conversation from “do we have budget?” to “can we afford not to?”
2. MAP OUT THE POLITICS, NOT JUST THE PLAN
Every stuck team has a hidden org chart: the people with influence aren’t always the ones with titles. If you want your ideas to get through, treat alignment as part of the work, not something that happens after.
Ask yourself:
- Who’s the real blocker?
- Who always gets listened to?
- Who’s quietly on your side?
Then: build sideways. Book a coffee. Share your thinking early. Invite feedback before you need sign-off. The more your ideas feel like our ideas, the more they’ll get traction.
3. SHRINK THE FIRST STEP.
Big ideas get killed because they sound expensive, slow, or risky. Even when they’re not.
So package them differently:
- Turn the 6-month CRO roadmap into a 2-week test.
- Break the PIM investment into a diagnostic phase.
- Recast “a rebuild” as “a strategic fix for three user journeys.”
Leaders are more likely to approve a fast, low-risk experiment than a sprawling proposal—even if the destination is the same.
Progress builds credibility. Credibility earns permission. Start small, but smart.
4. CHANGE THE METRIC NOT THE AMBITION.
You’re being asked for revenue, but you’re only resourced for hygiene. That’s not your failure—that’s a visibility problem.
So switch the conversation. Highlight the right indicators:
- Adoption rates
- Friction points removed
- Time to resolve core bugs
- % of platform tools in actual use
These show progress when revenue isn’t the immediate lever. And they help leaders see how their own lack of investment is limiting potential. It’s a subtle form of holding them accountable—without confrontation.
5. SAY WHAT NO ONE ELSE WILL.
Sometimes, progress requires a bit of tension. If no one’s naming the real issue, then name it. Calmly. Constructively. Without ego.
Try:
- “I don’t think we have a strategy problem. I think we have a decision-making problem.”
- “We’re expecting performance from a setup that’s structurally underfunded.”
- “This is less about priorities and more about permission.”
You don’t have to be aggressive. Just honest. Respect earns more respect than silence.
6. FINAL THOUGHT, YOUR NOT POWERLESS.
Retail is full of blockers. But most of them are movable if you take a different route.
Managing up isn’t about posturing or politics. It’s about creating the conditions where good work can happen, despite the chaos.
That starts by being the person who doesn’t just get frustrated… but gets strategic.
JH – The Breakthrough Agency.
At JH, we work with ambitious ecommerce teams who want to get unstuck—whether that’s through strategy, delivery, or just better alignment.
We don’t do silver bullets. We ask better questions, challenge the brief, and help teams move with purpose, especially when progress feels out of reach.
Because breakthroughs don’t come from playing it safe. They come when you stop settling for work that holds you back.
Reach out to us by sending a message on LinkedIn or email breakthrough@wearejh.com.