Middle Management: The driving force in organizations
No person is an island.
Possibly, the people who appreciate this most are middle managers who make up the engine of the organisations they serve. These are the people who take projects to fruition, power committees, and shape the culture in meaningful ways, in a granular, boots-on-the-ground way.
Middle managers mould the destiny of the organisation in their hands - they mentor future leaders and grow to become future leaders themselves. Mid-level management stands as the crucible where the realms of operations and strategy converge—a crucible where leaders not only navigate the intricate landscape of day-to-day functions but also hone the art of strategic mastery. The learning curve isn't just sharp, but also needs to be tempered by experience. And experience takes time.
For middle managers, it is the right time to invest in skills that will prove invaluable in the long run. In today's rapidly evolving workplace, there are always new skills in demand: a few years ago, it used to be Big Data, now it's AI. Even if one isn't a coder or developer, knowing how to leverage these technologies to bolster the work middle managers do is an invaluable asset that allows middle managers to go above and beyond, and add serious value to the organisation.
Tried and tested skills like project and program management, Design Thinking, soft skills, leadership and coaching are always going to be a plus. Middle managers can use this time to invest in themselves through training programs at work, or even pursue courses offered by reputed institutes.
Also Read: Institutionalizing Leadership
In fact, many workplaces have tie ups with management and training programs and certifications that employees can apply for. Middle managers can also take their cue from these programs, or proactively have conversations with their bosses regarding the skills they need individually, and those skills that the organisation needs to build as a whole.
Even if building new skills isn't on the cards at the moment, the great news is that middle managers are already doing the work that pays off most: a McKinsey survey found that the part of the job that middle managers enjoy most is their workplace relationships (39 percent of employees’ job satisfaction). Here's the fascinating part of that statistic: 86 percent of workers' satisfaction with their relationships at work is linked to their relationship with management. Which means that the more time one spends on honing these skills, the stronger their team performance is likely to be. The skills they build here will serve them well for the rest of their careers.
This is great training for when their span increases and they take on larger projects and contribute administratively. After all, managers are also evaluated on their team's performance.
The time spent in middle management is when most managers perfect their brand of management: find their niche, evaluate their developmental areas, and spend time on strengthening their skillsets. Great managers understand that their team is their safe place and understanding them better will help them assess the effects of the changes they make more effectively.
Middle management is also a great time to learn from one's peers and grow one's network. It is important to swap strategies and best practices, and work to create a workplace that teems with cohesion. When teams feel equally empowered and treated in largely the same manner by a cohort of managers, productivity grows. To quote another McKinsey statistic, organisations with high manager “cohesion,” where managers within and across business units behave similarly, have almost twice the organisational-health score of those with low manager cohesion. When managers work in sync, everyone wins.
Moreover, as managers implement these strategies, they find that they have capacity to spare. As teams become more productive and more empowered to make decisions on their own, managers find that they can take on that big Six Sigma project or undergo training to develop skills they've always admired. The more they widen and deepen their areas of expertise, the more opportunities they create for themselves and their teams to take on work that is different, more challenging, more interesting, and perhaps, more visible.
Explore Job Opportunities at Aditya Birla Capital.
Possibly, the people who appreciate this most are middle managers who make up the engine of the organisations they serve. These are the people who take projects to fruition, power committees, and shape the culture in meaningful ways, in a granular, boots-on-the-ground way.
Middle managers mould the destiny of the organisation in their hands - they mentor future leaders and grow to become future leaders themselves. Mid-level management stands as the crucible where the realms of operations and strategy converge—a crucible where leaders not only navigate the intricate landscape of day-to-day functions but also hone the art of strategic mastery. The learning curve isn't just sharp, but also needs to be tempered by experience. And experience takes time.
For middle managers, it is the right time to invest in skills that will prove invaluable in the long run. In today's rapidly evolving workplace, there are always new skills in demand: a few years ago, it used to be Big Data, now it's AI. Even if one isn't a coder or developer, knowing how to leverage these technologies to bolster the work middle managers do is an invaluable asset that allows middle managers to go above and beyond, and add serious value to the organisation.
Tried and tested skills like project and program management, Design Thinking, soft skills, leadership and coaching are always going to be a plus. Middle managers can use this time to invest in themselves through training programs at work, or even pursue courses offered by reputed institutes.
Also Read: Institutionalizing Leadership
In fact, many workplaces have tie ups with management and training programs and certifications that employees can apply for. Middle managers can also take their cue from these programs, or proactively have conversations with their bosses regarding the skills they need individually, and those skills that the organisation needs to build as a whole.
Even if building new skills isn't on the cards at the moment, the great news is that middle managers are already doing the work that pays off most: a McKinsey survey found that the part of the job that middle managers enjoy most is their workplace relationships (39 percent of employees’ job satisfaction). Here's the fascinating part of that statistic: 86 percent of workers' satisfaction with their relationships at work is linked to their relationship with management. Which means that the more time one spends on honing these skills, the stronger their team performance is likely to be. The skills they build here will serve them well for the rest of their careers.
This is great training for when their span increases and they take on larger projects and contribute administratively. After all, managers are also evaluated on their team's performance.
The time spent in middle management is when most managers perfect their brand of management: find their niche, evaluate their developmental areas, and spend time on strengthening their skillsets. Great managers understand that their team is their safe place and understanding them better will help them assess the effects of the changes they make more effectively.
Middle management is also a great time to learn from one's peers and grow one's network. It is important to swap strategies and best practices, and work to create a workplace that teems with cohesion. When teams feel equally empowered and treated in largely the same manner by a cohort of managers, productivity grows. To quote another McKinsey statistic, organisations with high manager “cohesion,” where managers within and across business units behave similarly, have almost twice the organisational-health score of those with low manager cohesion. When managers work in sync, everyone wins.
Moreover, as managers implement these strategies, they find that they have capacity to spare. As teams become more productive and more empowered to make decisions on their own, managers find that they can take on that big Six Sigma project or undergo training to develop skills they've always admired. The more they widen and deepen their areas of expertise, the more opportunities they create for themselves and their teams to take on work that is different, more challenging, more interesting, and perhaps, more visible.
Explore Job Opportunities at Aditya Birla Capital.
Discovering Rewards
Managers need to find what motivates them and ask for it.
Some are motivated by learning, others by novelty and variety, and still others by larger spans. Organisations are hungry for talent, and often have work that needs doing, but no one to do it. By asking for work, at the very least, managers break the daily routine. At best, they learn something new, add a few new notches on their managerial belt, and grow their contribution to the organisation.
Good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who grow while they do.
Some are motivated by learning, others by novelty and variety, and still others by larger spans. Organisations are hungry for talent, and often have work that needs doing, but no one to do it. By asking for work, at the very least, managers break the daily routine. At best, they learn something new, add a few new notches on their managerial belt, and grow their contribution to the organisation.
Good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who grow while they do.
Related:
Importance of Internal MobilityPerformance Appraisals
Workplace Etiquettes