Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines | Week 303 | Leading & Managing | 1

Extractive summaries and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Week 303 | June 30 – July 6, 2023.

Don’t Eliminate Your Middle Managers

In lean times they can help you thrive—if you reimagine their roles. 

By Emily Field et al., | Harvard Business Review | July–August 2023 Issue

Listen to the Extractive Summary of the Article

In recent months, amid signs that the economy might be softening, many companies announced layoffs aimed at curbing expenses, with middle management a common target. Cutting such jobs hastily or too deeply can be a costly mistake. 

The problem is, middle managers—positioned close to the ground but not too close—are essential to helping businesses navigate rapid, complex change. They can make work more meaningful, interesting, and productive, and true organizational transformation can occur only with their involvement. They’re the glue that holds teams and enterprises together, fostering the inclusion and psychological safety individuals and groups need to thrive.

If middle managers are to fulfill this promise, though, leaders must reimagine their roles and give them the training and support they need. Instead of eliminating them or relegating them to administrative and individual contributor work, companies should reassess their responsibilities, push to more fully understand their value, and then develop, coach, and inspire them to realize their potential as organizational linchpins.  If freed they can take the lead in several areas critical to the 21st-century workplace.  Some of these are: responding to increasing automation, can make a huge difference in a firm’s ability to attract and retain talent, can lead employee development, can demonstrate purpose and compassion, and ca make smart use of data.

What the leaders can do?  Begin the reassessment process by identifying the most critical managerial roles: those that will generate the greatest profit or involve the highest risk. Think carefully about whom to put in those positions according to the specific jobs to be done in them. Next pinpoint your most influential managers. You can do that by surveying employees about the people they turn to when they want to know what’s going on and seeing which names come up repeatedly.  And keep them engaged, relevant and motivated by listening to them on a regular basis.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. In recent months, amid signs that the economy might be softening, many companies announced layoffs aimed at curbing expenses, with middle management a common target. Cutting such jobs hastily or too deeply can be a costly mistake. 
2. The problem is, middle managers—positioned close to the ground but not too close—are essential to helping businesses navigate rapid, complex change.
3. If middle managers are to fulfill this promise, though, leaders must reimagine their roles and give them the training and support they need. Instead of eliminating them or relegating them to administrative and individual contributor work, companies should reassess their responsibilities, push to more fully understand their value, and then develop, coach, and inspire them to realize their potential as organizational linchpins.

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Topics:  Managing, Middle Managers, Leadership