Middle managers are crucial allies in performance management, project profitability, change management, and employee engagement. They also tend to receive the least support in many organizations.
Unfortunately, middle managers are often caught in between meeting the needs of both their superiors and their subordinates while their own needs go ignored and their efforts underappreciated.
That said, those who are equipped and supported by the companies they work for can become crucial leaders of their teams and play a valuable role in an organization’s overall success.
Here are four ways your company can support its middle managers.
Know What You Want in Your Middle Managers
A good manager can have an enormous influence on employees and how they contribute to the organization, so it’s essential to know exactly what skills and qualities you want in your middle managers. Harvard Business Review highlights four types of connecting leaders and practices your business should consider when hiring for the role.
Importantly, you want to ensure your middle managers have positive relationships with their teams. A report from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that 58% of employees rate their relationship with their immediate supervisor as “very important,” but only 40% are “very satisfied” with that relationship.
The most qualified manager won’t mean much to your company’s overall success if your team doesn’t respect — or trust — him or her.
Address Middle Managers’ Needs
In addition to hiring the right middle managers, companies must also make a consistent, conscious effort to address and support their managers’ needs, whether they be for the betterment of the team or professional growth.
Team issues might mean difficult performance conversations, implementation skills, team development, inclusive group facilitation, or culture and strategy implementation. Professional growth, on the other hand, might involve hosting workshops or offering company-wide mentorship opportunities.
In either case, support from the higher ups is crucial for addressing potential obstacles or growth opportunities. Ask your middle managers what they need to succeed in their roles, and make yourself available to them as needed. Open lines of communication can lead to stronger support networks and mutual accountability amongst your team.
Facilitate Coaching & Mentorship Opportunities
Coaching is a great way to help all members of your team build skills and explore opportunities higher up in the company. They can be matched with executives, other managers, or even outside coaches who can provide unbiased advice and a sense of safety for managers who are uncomfortable opening up to internal coaches.
Middle managers can coach other employees, too. One way to encourage leaders to offer to coach is to include it as a criterion in their performance evaluations. For example, Southwest Airlines expects its leaders to have consistent one-on-one conversations with their team members about their work and personal lives.
On a more informal level, peer coaching can be facilitated in existing training by introducing a topic or hypothetical scenario and then having peers pair up to discuss their own experiences and struggles to collaborate on solutions. This kind of bonding encourages team development and builds support systems and networking.
Build Relationships With Middle Management
Trust begins with positive relationships. Encourage your human resources department and senior leaders to build strong relationships with your company’s middle management team and to listen carefully to them.
As translators of what is reality with the employees on their team, what middle managers need are emotional support and to be heard. A foundation of trust and open dialogue can lead to greater employee retention and a more positive workplace altogether.
I’d love to hear what your company is doing, or planning to do, to support its middle managers. Let me know in the comments!
