Generally speaking, “skip” means two levels higher or lower in the org chart. Your manager’s manager is your skip-level manager (skip boss in short). As a manager of managers, the direct report of your manager is your skip-level direct report (skip in short).
Unfortunately, many professionals don’t even have a regular meeting with their managers, let alone their manager’s manager. This page will equip you with the knowledge to effectively start and run the two types of Skip Level Meetings: with individuals and groups.
Skip Level One-on-Ones
When most people say “skip levels” they are referring to this 1:1 format. So imagine a director meeting 1:1 with their managers’ direct reports.
Skip-level meetings: What they are, and exactly how to run them: A great intro on skip-level 1:1 meetings by Canopy’s CEO Claire Lew. Comes with a template to announce this format. (10 min read)
How I set expectations for skip levels: VP of Engineering at Spotify Marcus Frödin shares how he sets context and expectations for his skip-level 1:1 meetings. (2 min read)
Skip Level Group Meetings
Few people know about the skip-level group meeting format, but it’s a powerful tool nevertheless. Imagine a director meeting with each manager’s team without that manager being present. Manager Tools lays out the purpose, logistics, and delivery in their podcast.
Manager Tools - Skip Levels Part 1 & Skip Levels Part 2 (68 min listen)