Rethinking the role of the middle manager

Companies need to uplift their much-maligned middle managers. Not merely a midpoint to the top, they are the true center of the organization.

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Stuck in the middle

Sandwiched between the C-suite and the front line, middle managers are critical yet neglected. Bureaucracy and administrivia keep them from their most crucial task: managing people.

Article - McKinsey on Books

Power to the Middle

Bad fit

Outmoded hierarchies don’t help: high performers advance to people management even when ill-suited to it, while successful people leaders assume senior roles that disconnect them from their teams.

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Middle managers are the heart of your company

On the right track

To help mend the middle-manager role, companies can create two different career tracks: one rewarding strong individual contributors and the other rewarding great people managers.

Interview

Author Talks: What does it mean to be a good middle manager?

Thanks, I’m good right here

Promotions aren’t always the best reward. Many middle managers prioritize autonomy, responsibility, and compensation over advancement.

Survey

Stop wasting your most precious resource: Middle managers

Best behavior

And it pays to keep middle managers happy. Companies with managers who regularly exhibit healthy management behaviors generate between three and 21 times greater TSR than other companies.

Red wooden model balanced between wooden bars

Article