Can we all just agree that middle management is one of the worst places to be? I would also venture to argue that it’s one of the most underappreciated positions. And it’s where most people spend majority of their careers. No wonder there are so many unhappy people in the workplace! In fact, a study from Columbia University and University of Toronto found that mid-level employees have higher rates of anxiety and depression.
We tend to promote from within when someone is good at a task. “He’s great at analyzing quality and estimating yields. Let’s make him a supervisor!” Cool. But how is he with people? *Crickets*
Does he have people’s respect? Do they trust him? Does he do the right thing when no one is watching? Is he a good communicator? Does he understand the liability (for himself and the company) that comes with the responsibility?
There are a lot of questions that should be answered before we make a person a manager. But do we actually spend the time to consider that person as an effective leader or do we choose them out of necessity (or desperation)? If it’s the latter, you are potentially setting him up for failure (maybe more) and your company up for strife.
Middle managers play a critical role in a company’s chain of command. Often, even multiple times a day, they switch from low power (led by their manager) to high power (being the manager and leading their team). There’s a dispositional change from being a superior to being a subordinate, and research has shown that there are cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects to power. Engaging and disengaging from one power level to another can be psychologically challenging causing stress, tension, and anxiety that may lead to other health risk factors such as heart disease and hypertension.
Most people believe that their time in middle management will be short-lived, but the reality is that these employees are classified as kind of “stuck in the middle of everything.” They have an undergraduate degree, but not a graduate degree. They are around mid-life and midway into their careers, and they’re just good performers (not excellent, but not terrible either). Many are in the midst of raising a family as well.
But the #1 reason middle managers are unhappy is that they are led ineffectively.
What are your expectations of your middle managers? Are they fair? Are you adequately preparing them for the position? Let us help you strengthen your middle management team!