Importance of Middle Managers
Middle Managers are the crème in the Oreos® of the workplace. They are the delightful, yet functional, filling that connects the two cookie wafers: workers and leadership.
Think about that classic cookie without the filling. That is what an organization is without Middle Management – two cookies that are disconnected. You can press them together, but… they will not stick, and might even crumble.
Here are the Top 6 benefits your organization receives through middle managers:
1. Middle Managers Drive Growth.
Middle managers provide purpose to their team. Feeling connected to the purpose of the organization is one of the best ways to engage a productive workforce. Middle Managers pace work for consistent production that builds resiliency against stress and prevents burnout. A respected Middle Manger can request extra from their team when needed and get it. Middle Managers can foster worker relationships and create high-performing teams, or teach employees how to slack off and not get caught, or be a jerk and create a disenfranchised workforce that results in mediocre products and customer service. That is why it is important to support Middle Managers (strategies to do this in the next article).
2. Middle Managers Set the Tone of the Work Environment.
Some organizational culture trickles down from the top, but it can be reinforced or undermined by a savvy Middle Manager. They set the expectations. The best Middle Managers model respect, kindness, and grace. They coach their teams to do the same. They find the right time and place to address bad behaviors that can infect the team, nipping them in the bud. Ultimately, their treatment of employees makes the organization either a desirable place to work or one that workers want to leave.
3.Middle Managers Provide Reality Checks.
Timelines, projects, and processes often look good on paper, but they do not tell the tale of the unintended consequence: the fallout when someone who makes a decision is unaware of all the stakeholders or processes affected. An unintended consequence could result in a process hiccup or an epic fail. An effective Middle Manager can diplomatically push back on the organization when administrative decisions come with unintended consequences, keeping their organizations on track and running smoothly.
4.Middle Managers are the Organization’s Moral Compass.
While organizations often hire consultants to facilitate leadership’s writing of mission, vision, and values statements, it is the Middle Managers who live it and model it for all employees. The true culture of the organization is not in the written words, but in the everyday living. Employees watch middle management for how closely their behaviors align with the espoused values. They listen to Middle Managers explain how the administration’s decisions are connected to (or disconnected from) their mission statement. Middle Manager’s actions can reveal their feelings about the organization. Are they trusted leaders or a bunch of phonies who say one thing but do another? Middle Managers guide the moral and ethical decisions of their entire team.
5.Middle Managers Put the Human in Human Resources
Administration writes policies about human resources or human capital. These policies provide necessary governance of humans in the workplace, but it is the Middle Managers who put the humanity into the workplace. Effective Middle Managers take time to listen to individual workers and address their challenges. They are the ones aware of workers who are sick or grieving or struggling for any number of reasons. They know which resources to offer and provide assistance at the moment it is needed.
6.Middle Managers Build Succession and Loyalty.
Middle Managers coach, mentor, and nurture the next generation of leaders. Through the delegation of work, they can provide low-risk opportunities for their workers to practice leadership. They can model decision-making, using clear communication, and accepting responsibility for their actions. They can give credit to their teams instead of making themselves look good. They can build trust with the workforce by being authentic with problems and not being trite or flippant when work is challenging.
The daily decisions and interactions of Middle Managers are the brushstrokes and colors that compose an organization’s painting.
Provide Leading Teams Through Change to your organization to support your Middle Managers.
