Middle Management

Sandwich.

According to the article of J.Balogun [1], people divide in two groups while

expressing their opinions about the role of Middle Management in the company:

- ones are blaming the Middle managers, saying that 

They don't sound like they contribute anything, and appear to be a barrier to progress!

- others, on the other hand, think that MMs play a key role in change process, such as:

  - keeping the business going

  - intrepretation as a task

I agree with J.Balogun and the opinion, that the actual change outcomes depend on how middle 

managers interpret what is required to the staff. They can both inspire and get the right feedback from all the layers of employees, because, middle managers are structurally closer to their employees and so are likely to be more attuned to their subordinates' emotional needs [2] .

I agree with the Mica (who made a guest lecture), middle management is a tough place. 

I've been working as a middle manager for 1,5 year in the medium-sized company (110 empl.)

I had 5 guys in my department.

What assosiation I got in our copmany’s with the middle management? 

There is this sandwich where the middle management (=cheese) is squeezed between 

the executives (=bread) and the employees (=bread). 

And as in real sandwich, cheese is used at the same time : 

 to smooth the taste

 to make the taste stronger

 to be blamed if someone does not like cheese :)

There are studies that middle management is the most stressfull place, 

since in executive level you create strategies and visions, while in a 

employee level you hopefully see what is expected from team. 

The middle management role is to route visions to something concrete, 

to create from fuzzy vision a clear roadmap. 

In most cases it is easier and simpler to be an employee than middle manager (especially phycologically).

The thing that can be painful here appears if personally middle manager does not want or afraid, or is not interested in changes, that he is to iplement, nothing is going to work out.

But I strongly believe, that Middle Management is nessessary in some organizations, as a translating, keeping others motivated and kind of controlling level.

[1] J.Balogun, From Blaiming the Middle to Harnessing its potential: Creating Change intermediaries.

[2] Quy Nguyen Huy, Emotional Balancing of Organizational Continuity and Radical Change: The contibution of Middle Managers.