Don’t underestimate the power in the middle
Neither at the top nor at the bottom, but somewhere in between, lies an important but often overlooked group of employees.
Middle managers tend to receive less attention than executive leadership or new joiners. For the past decade, Wharton and Ivey Business Schools have emphasized the importance of this “quiet engine of growth.” Over the past few months, McKinsey has published a series of articles and webinars to shed light on the role of middle managers in organizational performance. Based on these insights you’d think more organizations would focus on this employee segment.
Too few do.
In our career coaching practice, we found it’s not just about managers; mid-level professionals (subject matter experts and individual contributors) also hold the keys to engagement, productivity, and employee retention. Based on what we’ve observed this group plays a vital role in connecting and integrating people and results. Despite this knowledge, some firms stopped investing in this group years ago to focus on executive leadership, high potential talent, or new joiners.
It’s a tough job, and one that Wharton management professor Ethan Mollick believes “may have a greater impact on company performance than almost any other part of the organization.” Mollick recommends businesses to pay closer attention to their middle managers because they “may be the most important people in your company.” Allocating development investments in mid-level employees and tenured professionals, this group becomes a powerful driver of organizational success.
We agree.
These employees are the Swiss Army knives of an organization — responsible for allocating resources, communicating between hierarchies turning strategic goals into day-to-day execution.
Over the past three months, we’ve worked with mid-level professionals with 20 plus years of experience, providing them with individual and small group coaching sessions — these professionals had never had the opportunity to participate in career coaching before.
McKinsey suggests unleashing the power of the middle starts with organizational structure and role design. No doubt this helps.
We found something more fundamental at play. During our coaching sessions, everyone shared a similar story — no one had ever inquired about their strengths or career aspirations. Most of the conversations, if any, were focused on execution and meeting objectives.
What happens when we invest in the middle and when we ask different questions?
When you invest time in asking simple questions like, what have you learned this year, how would you define career success, or what are you looking forward to at work? and change the conversation by asking different questions and taking time to listen, it has the power to transform the organization from the middle.
Here’s the facts.
Midlevel professionals, while largely invisible, are deeply committed to the work they do. Writing in IVEY Business Journal, Professor Paul Osterman describes how middle managers view their role in the same way that craft workers do. They get a sense of “craft pride” in a job well done, and believe their work is an important component of their personal identity.
A craft workers take pride in performing the job well. Given the space to get reacquainted with their values, skills and experience can be liberating. Identifying how to leverage their strengths enriches their connection to their role and enhances their effectiveness within the organization.
The firms we worked with observed significant increases in productivity across the participants, which can be attributed to participants unexplored connection to and enthusiasm for their roles. One firm stated, “we saw a significant shift, these sessions tapped into a newfound energy, resulting in more conversations and stronger connection to the organization.”
Coaching leads to better engagement and network-building.
Middle-level managers have a lot to manage and oversee. Most felt overloaded and undervalued, especially when they didn’t see opportunities for learning. We also found that some Mid-level professionals did not want to move into a management role but did want to expand the scope of their current role. This expanded role included mentoring others.
A clear, tangible outcome from the coaching sessions was the revelation of potential. Every participant reported having greater clarity into what they brought to the table, a better understanding of how and where they could add even more value, and a recognition that internal networks were the key to raising visibility for themselves and others. One firm mentioned, “48% of employees expressed a strong desire to improve their relationship capabilities across functional boundaries.”
Coaching leads to a positive reframing and intent to stay.
Almost every participant reported feeling a greater sense of satisfaction at work. It was like giving their role a rebrand away from the stigma of “old hands stuck in a rut” and towards something more fulfilling with room to learn and achieve. No doubt this reframing led to a greater commitment to the organization’s success.
One participant said, “Our conversations allowed me to piece together 25+ years of experience, strengths, and values to uncover what I want to do next. I want to remain a subject matter expert helping the firm solve messy problems. I’m not the best at managing others but I do enjoy mentoring and helping people find what makes them tick… or their zone of genius.” These comments were validated by internal surveys, “it was evident that most saw their next opportunity within the organization.”
Coaching transforms mid-level professionals into effective people leaders
Middle managers are, by definition, team leaders. The ability to manage, motivate and develop people is fundamental to their success and has direct bottom-line impact in terms of reducing turnover and improving employee engagement — all positively impacting productivity.
The coaching sessions had a ripple effect, providing middle-level managers with the opportunity to stretch their coaching and mentoring abilities. We heard many conversations on the desire to support others on their career paths. Across the board, the participants were enthusiastic about helping others grow to reach their full potential.
Closing Thoughts
Middle managers who, like the reliable engine room of a ship, have been quietly driving success for years. Isn’t it time to tap into this community of craft workers? They are the real glue of the organization sitting at the heart of the company’s performance.
Despite their contributions, their true value is not always appreciated. We witnessed first-hand the positive power of coaching in unlocking this potential. Coaching offers the space for tenured professionals who maybe consumed by their daily responsibilities time to look back, get reaquainted with their strengths and uncover possibilities. Too often this group is caught up in the ‘doing’ that they do not take the time to reflect on their own effectiveness and impact.
Giving these professionals space to explore and uncover what makes them truly excel, everyone wins.
The bottom line is maintaining a balanced investment approach in development across the organizations builds inclusion, creates connections and unleashes engagement.
Everyone benefits.
