We Need Great Middle Managers More Than Ever

How can we better set up middle managers for success?

"Middle managers have a crucial role to play in creating a culture of excellence within their organizations."

Jack Welch

Middle managers are unsung heroes. When I launched my consulting practice, I knew I wanted to provide a coaching service specifically for middle managers based on my direct and secondhand experience in leadership roles at startups.

💡 Did you know middle managers are the least supported in terms of professional development, coaching, and access to upskilling opportunities, but bear the brunt of responsibilities related to execution?

There’s so much untapped potential. If you’re a middle manager you probably already know that you’re the key to getting sh*t done. You bridge the gap between executives and execution teams, you translate strategies into action plans, and you own key company KPIs. And you also know that sometimes, it feels like you’re #stuckinthemiddle.

A middle manager without professional development and empowerment often looks like Manager A in the illustration below (full transcript here):

Emily Field: Let me tell you about two managers in the exact same organization. The return-to-office edict came; people needed to return to the office. One manager said, “Everybody back to the office five days a week,” and his team took this so literally that they said things like, “Well, I’m in the field with customers. What does that mean?”

And the manager said, “Let me check.” Another manager, same team, similar remit, said, “Be with your customers. That’s how you’re having value. Also, let’s think about this as the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law. Let’s do good work. Let’s think about the right times to come together.”

Two managers, same team, right? Think about who you want to work with. I’d want to work with the manager that’s actually saying, “Let’s do the work together. Let’s have impact. And let’s not worry so much about exactly where we are.”

Maybe you’ve been here yourself, I know I definitely have. The good news is - middle management challenges are easily addressable. Now that I’ve painted a picture for you, let’s talk about the key skills middle managers need and tips for managing your own development if you’re feeling “stuck in the middle”.

How to Win at Middle Management

It’s hard to single out a few skills that middle managers need to master to be successful in their roles, it’s a neverending list! I chose to focus on the following soft skills because they’ve made all the difference for myself and my peers:

1. Communicate with brevity, clarity, & purpose: Did you know that businesses with 100 employees spend an average of 17 hours per week (884 hours per year!!) clarifying communications? Most people see this stat and think “let’s get rid of meetings!”. That’s fair but you can’t eliminate meetings without fixing your core communications issue; the problem will only get worse. Excessive meetings are a symptom of communication dysfunction at a company. Middle managers who excel at both verbal and written communication tend to effectively relay information, provide feedback, and ensure clarity among team members. These managers not only initiate fewer unnecessary meetings but have happy, productive, and engaged teams. If you’re focused on improving your communication (being more direct, concise, and clear), The First Minute is a great read. If you enjoy it, circulate it around your team and watch the magic happen.

2. Don’t be a bottleneck, make decisions: Good leaders know how to make informed decisions. They expertly weigh pros and cons, assess risks, and decide on a path forward. They understand how their decisions impact their team and the business - they never lose sight of their goals. People turn to them for clarity. If you’re focused on being a more confident decision maker, I like Howie Mann’s simple frameworks for decision making. If you often find yourself stuck when faced with untangling a complex problem, you might need some new mental models - Super Thinking is my favorite go to for easy to use mental models.

3. Make your work life more seamless by being adaptable: Have you ever gotten upset when a project needed to change course? Or gotten visibily annoyed at a new strategic direction? Do you sometimes feel like the squeaky wheel - constantly speaking out against yet another change? These are all signs that you should probably work on your adaptability. Being able to spot problems is a great skill to have but being the person that is presented with new information, can assess it objectively (read: no matter how annoying it is lol), and devise a solution makes you indispensible. Look at it this way if you see yourself in any of the above - self awareness is a quality that good leaders possess and awareness leads to change. Asana has an amazing resource for developing adaptability in the workplace.

I Want to be a Better Manager - What Should I Do?

Being a great manager takes effort and commitment, but you shouldn’t have to do it all alone. Here are a few high leverage strategies for becoming a better manager:

1. Build a success tribe:

   1. Find a mentor: If you don’t have a mentor at your workplace, seek one out. Try to find someone that can offer a different perspective than your own and that pushes you to grow. Avoid the people that tell you what you want to hear and seek out those who aren’t afraid to share hard truths.

   2. Hire a coach: If you’re working on developing specific skills or feel stuck in a rut in your career, consider hiring a coach. If you have professional development budget dollars available to you, you may be able to use them on coaching. Try to find a coach that has direct experience in the area(s) that you’re trying to grow in, has worked in the same environment that you have, and has either been within 1 level of your current level of seniority. In my coaching practice, I work with high performers in middle management at startups or fast-paced environments. If this is you and you’re looking for a coach, reach out!

2. Keep your soft skills and job related “technical” skills sharp: Some people thinking learning = enrolling in a formal continuing education programs - an advanced degree, a full-time or part-time course, or workshops. Depending on where you’re at in your career, these are all great options! But if you’re seeking practical frameworks or even new ideas, you can learn a lot from books, podcasts, and networking events related to your area of expertise. Here’s my running list of favorites.

3. Be someone other people want to know (aka Network): Engaging with a mentor or coach and becoming an expert at your craft almost instantly turn you into someone other people want to know. You need a solid network to continue to grow through your career. If networking doesn’t come naturally to you, here’s a few ideas:

   1. Attend events: if you love events plan to attend one once a month, meet at least 2 people, and keep in contact.

   2. Join online communities: If you prefer online communities, find one for people in your function or industry and set a goal for yourself to engage once a week. Here’s a list of 1000 communities to get you started.

4. Seek out stretch assignments: You might be thinking, my plate is already full!! But hear me out. The best way to develop new skills is to learn by doing and if you work in a fast-paced environment, there’s likely no shortage of opportunities for you to take on projects that are outside of your usual remit and that “stretch” your current abilities. Try this:

   1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses and identify where you want to grow

   2. Ask your manager for a stretch project or identify one for yourself

   3. Partner with a colleague that has demonstrated expertise in that skill

   4. Evaluate your outcomes at the conlcusion of the project and add that new skill to your professional toolkit

Good luck!