27 Apr Why Mid-Level Managers are Important?

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.”—Paul Hawken

During the 1980s to 1990s, corporate organizations were witnessing layoffs. Mainly, middle managers were targeted in these layoffs, since many companies were aiming to flatten their structure. The position of mid-level managers was on the brink of extinction. Since that turbulent era, middle managers have risen in influence and in numbers. Organizations across the world have started to realize the importance of middle managers.

In a recent survey, it was revealed that 89.3% of top-level managers consider middle managers to be anchormen that successfully conveyed the requirements of the senior management to the lower levels of the organization. The influence of middle managers originates from the important role they play in project management, which includes allocating resources and making sure that deadlines are being met. Although these roles are often considered bland, or routine, middle managers are in a perfect position to nurture innovation and creativity.

Effectiveness of Middle Managers

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”— Stephen R. Covey

In today’s business world, client satisfaction is of the utmost importance. Clients are smarter and more aware than before. With the digital boom, they have information at a hand’s breadth, and it has become a challenge for businesses to retain their existing clients and attract new ones, at the same time. A company’s leadership is responsible to a large extent for client retention and satisfaction. But, it is the middle manager who works along with his team to get things done.

Let us look at the story of Paul Johnson, who was working as a manager in a factory in the United Kingdom. It was part of a 25 billion dollar corporation. Paul wanted to reduce the number of waste products produced in the factory’s assembly line. He instructed his subordinates to gather all the waste that was produced in a week. The workers managed to collect 40 pallets worth of discarded bottles and packages.

Paul assembled all the employees of the factory and showed them the pallets so that everyone could realize just how much waste was being produced by the factory. He then deployed a group of assembly line workers and managers. Paul managed to create a sense of exigency in the factory, setting deadlines and meeting them. Within six weeks, a dedicated team of individuals managed to figure out the faults in the process that was resulting in defective materials.

While this process was going on, the organization was holding a meeting once or twice a week. Paul managed to inject his own sense of urgency into the company. As a result, the company reduced its expenses by almost 1 million dollars. But the impact of the change spread beyond the financial. It affected the company culture and the work mentality of its employees. Paul received a promotion for his efforts.

The above story shows us how middle managers can effectively change the way work is done in an organization. They are ones who can make the most impact on how well the team performs. Unlike senior managers, middle managers have more interactions with the workers. They have direct influence over the effectiveness, job satisfaction, and work experience of the employees. Middle managers have in-depth knowledge about the ground-level work that is being done daily.

Furthermore, mid-level managers are the ones who are fully aware of the work environment. The upper management needs to make sure that they are fully equipped to deal with changes in the environment. They should also be given the green light to address the demands of the market and the team.

Training for Mid-Level Managers

“If the people you lead have lost their spark, try looking in the mirror.” — Susan Fowler

Middle managers are often prone to suffering from burnouts. Their job often requires them to take unpopular decisions. They feel the pressure from the upper management as well the weight of expectations from down below. They often suffer from depression and anxiety and are not at all happy with their work life.

HR managers can help in this regard, by arranging training for closing skill gaps and building interpersonal relationships with their colleagues. Although online training is available on-demand, one-on-one training is indispensable, since they deal with communication skills. Many companies are arranging workshops that teach middle managers how to communicate without resorting to defensive tactics.

Such training often turns into support groups for middle managers, where they can discuss their issues and arrive at solutions. Middle managers suffer from a wide range of personal issues that need to be addressed. These support groups are effective in that regard. Companies are coming up with training programs that educate mid-level managers about how to deal with change, managing talent, and thinking strategically.

These pieces of training often see the involvement of senior managers who discuss the change initiatives of the company. Having a discussion with senior managers often helps middle managers realize the bigger picture. They get a clearer idea about how the work they are doing is affecting the company so that they can employ new strategies for their teams. HR managers need to plan for succession, so that the training programs may begin at time.

Coaching programs are also effective in training middle managers. This could involve senior managers or external coaches. One-on-one discussions with senior officials could prove beneficial because it can help review the individual expectations of a mid-tier manager. It also lets them know where their priorities should lie and the standard of work they should maintain.

Conclusion

In this new age, more and more middle managers are initiating change in organizations. Once merely a bureaucratic position, the role of middle management is now evolving into that of an innovator. As such, focusing on them is crucial for the betterment of the business.