What about middle managers?
In a recent Financial Times article, Elizabeth Gaito, head of talent experience at Salesforce, noted: “Mangers are not only responsible for driving business results. They’re on the front lines with their teams, supporting their emotional and psychological wellbeing, keeping the company culture alive and navigating the challenges of ‘work from anywhere.’”
Goodness, I’m tired just typing that.
So middle managers are responsible for influencing up and down when these two groups can be vastly different in their needs and expectations.
How does a middle manager navigate?
You ask a lot of curious questions AND ask for what you need to do your job well.
Often folks are promoted due to their wonderful technical skills, however that is not a lever indicating they have the leadership skills needed. If fact, it can be hindrance at times as when in doubt, fall on what you know well.
To not fall into that trap, middle managers ask for good training and coaching. You may even place that on your list of asks as you get ready to move into middle management. It shows your supervisor and company leaders that you’re preparing well for the next step in your career, that you’ll add value at the next level.
Back to the curious questions, having clear expectations of your role from your senior leader is important. If you believe the expectations are unrealistic, ask the purpose of the expectation and how it will add value. If that sounds ballsy, it’s because it is. I believe middle managers must have courage. Courage to challenge and ask for their needs to be met and have realistic expectations.
Senior leaders – if middle managers’ needs aren’t being met, the expectation that they’ll be able to take care of the needs of the individual contributors they manage, and the organizational goals is unrealistic. So please, make training and coaching part of their work experience. An abundance of research has shown this necessity for optimal company success AND you’ll have a skilled, happy manager(s), which is priceless.
Group coaching is excellent in this context. I’ve designed and lead them in for profit and not for profit organizations. When middle managers come together to learn and grow, they support each other, lean into each other, which adds much value not only to them, and for company culture. This is one of my favorite programs to design and lead.
