How Can We Manage our Middle Managers?

Middle managers represent the most depressed and stressed category of workers, according to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trend Report  from this year. Research from Harvard Business Review also reports that middle managers have the lowest rates of psychological safety in the workplace.

These employees at the middle of the corporate ladder can be overwhelmed with huge amounts of administrative tasks and continuous problems to solve, leaving them with little time to focus on more enjoyable work and take advantage of professional development opportunities. A unique characteristic of this phase in one’s career in the increased social complexity that must be dealt with alongside their regular workload. Middle managers are expected to navigate the expectations of both those above them in the hierarchy and those below, which has been cited as a main source of stress.

It is hardly surprising then that the new generation of the workforce find these positions unattractive, with research showing that Gen Z workers are 1.7 times more likely to avoid leadership roles compared to previous generations, in order to protect their mental health. Given these statistics, what can organisations do to alleviate or avoid the stress of middle managers?  

Potential Solutions

1. Development & Training Programmes. Becoming part of management can feel in many ways like a departure from an employee’s “normal” work, though this is rarely reflected in the training that they receive. It is often taken for granted that soft skills such as conflict resolution, clear communication and empathetic listening are present in middle managers, even when they have risen from technical positions. As well as this, management hard skills such as project management, budgeting and resourcing can also be new capabilities which middle managers are expected to learn on the job.

According to Capterra’s Middle Management survey from 2023, less than 40% of middle mangers receive any kind of managerial training, with this skill gap greatly contributing to burnout levels. This same report found that despite this limited supply of development opportunities, demand is high, especially for training topics as conflict resolution (41%) and project management (35%).

Despite the substantial initial investment required for these kinds of programmes, their return balances out in the long term. Preparing new middle managers prior to their promotion can be crucial in combatting the low performance that often occurs during the “teething period” following onboarding in a new role. Furthermore, research by McKinsey & Company demonstrated that organisations with top-performing managers who received regular training had shareholder returns multiple times higher than companies without these ongoing training programmes.

2. Unbossing. In the face of middle managers’ stress, we are seeing another potential solution with the emergence of the “bossless organisation”. This strategic re-imagining of organisational structure, known as “unbossing”, refers to a reduction or even elimination of the traditional middle management layer. Instead of a hierarchical chain of command, employees are grouped in self-sufficient teams who make their own decisions and lead themselves.

This new drastic leadership approach comes with both its pros and cons. Most notably  research on the topic highlights cost-cutting as the primary advantage in the move towards self-sufficient teams. Simply put, less middle managers means less payroll and potentially lower overheads resulting from fewer resources being needed. As well as this, a flatter organisational structure can allow for increased agility and flexibility among self-sufficient teams. Instead of relying on the hierarchical chain of command, cross-collaboration and quick decision-making are favored.  

However, without a manager to uphold accountability and provide supervision, employees may be more prone to become disengaged from their work. Morale can become hard to maintain without regular check-ins, especially for remote workers. Similarly, the lack of daily guidance can be especially confusing especially for entry-level and more junior members of organisations. Without sufficient feedback and role models to look to, joining the workforce and developing professionally can be a daunting task.

3. Coaching & Mentoring. Coaching and mentoring programmes can be an extremely effective way to target the underappreciation and isolation of the middle management level, which is well documented. It allows employees to have space to communicate the unique tensions of being middle managers, as well as to highlight their unique contributions within an organisation. One study reveals that 86% of talent and people management experts name coaching and mentoring programmes as the best way to add value to an organisation.

This personalised intervention also has the added advantage of being able to provide middle managers with real-time feedback from their coaches or mentors. They can seek advice in response to specific situations they encounter in their roles, as well as to have ongoing discussions about career progression. Compared to more formal training programmes, this solution can require smaller financial investment from an organisation, with the focus here on soft skills and career development.

Considerations

Taking into account the array of possible interventions, it can be unclear which approach to take in easing the stress of middle managers. Here are some key considerations to think of before you choose which solution is best for your organisation:

• Short vs Long Term Investment. While many interventions require large financial investment, the cost of neglecting middle management is staggering, with an estimated $15.4 billion being lost annually from middle manager turnover. With this in mind, it is important to assess the impact of interventions and the time frames in which they can yield results. For example, while unbossing may immediately relieve the pressure of middle managers and decrease costs, it can also damage organisational culture and productivity in the long run. Conversely, training and development programs can have larger initial costs, but can pay dividends in the long term, as middle managers can improve performance in sustainable ways.

• Employee Populations. Large companies with many entry-level roles may want to retain middle managers, in order to ensure there is sufficient guidance available for junior employees. Similarly, it may be costly and complex to deliver training to large populations of middle managers in big companies, and so relying on internal mentoring programmes may be favoured in this context.

• Combined Solutions. Some of these interventions can work well in conjunction with others. For example, more junior employees in “bossless” organisations can greatly benefit from the senior management guidance in the form of coaching programmes. Similarly, coaching programmes can complement training and development frameworks, as middle managers are able to identify their weakness and potential avenues of growth.  

Unsure how to alleviate the stress of your middle management in your organisation? Prism can help you discuss and design potential solutions. Reach out to info@prismlcc.com today to get the best out of your workforce and do the best for them.