“Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work
- Thomas Edison

Middle Managers have long been the brunt of jokes, and are typically portrayed in Hollywood as boring, uninformed, and completely without influence.  It is a stereotype that couldn’t be more unfounded. Middle management moves organizations. In a world where executives and front-line workers see themselves as opponents, it is the managers who are connected to both worlds that become the cogs that keep the wheels whirring.

Ineffective middle managers are simply task managers, running from place to place putting out fires – unwilling, unable, or unconcerned about involvement in the strategic goals of their organizations. These less effective managers may work just as hard as their counterparts but haven’t seen the big picture, and thus add little value to their organizations or the functions they manage.

Optimally effective middle managers see the field. They are the chess players, not just the pieces on the board. They’ve learned to tie operational, tactical, and strategic goals together in symphony– adding value and become the type of managers that separate themselves from the pack.  Organizations with optimal middle management performance levels work at a different pace. They are purposeful, motivating, and continually moving forward. It is the difference between a finely tuned automobile with every piece moving perfectly in sync versus a car in the breakdown lane, with fluids leaking and hazard lights blazing.

Are You a Middle Manager?

Nobody’s business card is emblazoned with the designation, but every organization has them. Middle managers may be vice presidents, division head, director, or simply “manager” depending on how large an organization they work in. Leadership is a key component of the optimal middle manager, and they typically have a supervisory role to others – managers, supervisors, and team leaders. Although they do not sit atop the organizational structure, residing several levels below the CEO and President, middle managers do have responsibility for high-level financial and planning tasks and are expected to be comfortable working on business plans, budgetary issues, and the sometimes difficult areas of people management.  Optimal middle managers are at home when linking the strategic information they receive and the people who’s job it is to carry out the tactical plans on the front lines.  

“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and
make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them."
- Orison Swett Marden

Getting Results – Starting Today

Optimal middle managers are focused on results that have an immediate impact on the strategic goals of their organization. To become a vital middle manager, serving your company optimally you’ll need to be aware of how to most effectively:  

Become an Owner – Take ownership of anything within your workspace. Be efficiently self led, and always be willing to bear responsibility for the output of you and your employees. Owners are highly proactive and results focused rather than simply reacting to what is happening and attempting to maintain, or tread water.

Take Initiative – Always move towards getting things done, even if the face of failure and adversity. Your positive activity will become a habit for you and for those you manage.   

Practice Ingenuity  - Ingenuity consists of ideas that can be applied to solve practical, technical, and social problems. Be a consistent source of new and better alternatives and be willing to make them a reality. Improving the processes of both task and people-oriented issues should be constantly re-evaluated for maximum effect.

Foster Trust – Nothing short-circuits your ability to have an optimal impact like broken words. Meet your commitments. Follow through on promises. Confront yourself, or anyone else who derails your progress by being less than completely trustworthy.  

Get Others “On Board” – Influence is a key managerial skill if you are to become optimally effective. Focus on the behavioral needs of your people and assist them in feeling as though they own their space, their tasks, and their success.  Provide yourself as a role-model by first defining the vision for them, and then supporting their ideas.

Become service-oriented – Leaders and managers who are optimally positioned see themselves as service providers. A strong sense of collaborative effort forces them to look not just at who can serve them, but in who they can serve in turn creates an atmosphere of  support for ideas and everyday work task assistance.

Get Feedback  - Optimal middle managers don’t live with the typical fear of feedback from those they interact with. Be willing to hear about your shortcomings and view them as opportunities rather than criticisms. It won’t make you better instantaneously but will provide you with growth opportunities that you never knew existed.