Maligned, misunderstood, miserable? The not rise and not fall of middle managers.

Middle managers are ripe for caricature.  Dickens, Tolstoy, Rowling, Wolfe, Flaubert, Shakespeare, Heller…the list of those who drag the middle manager cliché out of the closet is long and distinguished.  Even in early prehistory, it’s easy to imagine a Neanderthal equivalent.  Not trusted to hunt, not trusted to skin the mammoth.  Instead, set the task of aligning pebbles by size outside the cave door.

Epitomised by pedantry, pointlessness and powerlessness, middle management continues to be cursed by senior leaders (‘can’t get the frozen middle to shift on this’) and frontline workers (‘useless, no idea what they’re doing) alike.

re-shaping the narrative

Yet, great middle managers are vital.  They drive difference.  They recruit, train and inspire future leaders.  They shield the frontline from the worst of the, ‘good ideas’ that spill out from the c-suite.  And they are one of the key levers for change within most companies.  So, if that’s all true, why do they have such a bad reputation?

In stonefort marine talent, we have a theory.  One that we often test with senior leaders when we’re working with them on building in-house talent (rather than buying it from the market).  We ask simple questions such as: how well do you know your middle managers?  Do you understand the pressures they’re under?  We ask similar questions of a selection of middle managers: do you think senior leadership understands what you do, day to day?  The answers are illuminating (and not always fit to print)!

The short version?  Senior leaders often find it difficult to visualise (and have seemingly forgotten very quickly) how brutal & unrewarding middle management can be.  Often, on the flip-side, middle managers don’t always appreciate the strategic pressures at c-suite level and feel under-valued & misunderstood. 

how we can help

stonefort helps to close these fundamental gaps in understanding.  We've been frontline, middle managers and senior maritime leaders  We facilitate conversations, we help senior leaders bring in small, important changes (greater empowerment, trust, access).  We coach & mentor first level, as well as more senior, leaders. 

the future

Middle managers aren’t going anywhere.  But the caricatures need to be left behind.  These are professional, significant leaders.  Some will rise to c-suite.  Others won’t.  But all have a part to play in shaping the business and the people within it.  Reward the best, trust the rest.  As for those pebbles outside the front door…?

If you’re interested in the work we do with senior and middle leaders, please contact mark.hanson@stonefortmarine-talent.com