5 CHALLENGES THAT MID-MANAGER MAY FACE AND 4 ORGANIZATIONS CAN HELP

Middle managers are the backbone of organizations, especially large organizations. They are an important link between senior management and employees. These managers are responsible for the day-to-day execution of the organization’s strategy and it would not be wrong to say that the company’s success or failure largely depends on the strength of this management team. A good middle manager will also provide organizations with a system of talented future leaders. In practice, however, middle managers often face challenges of their own, and if these are not identified or not addressed, they almost always lead to dissatisfaction and subsequent discontent. downward momentum.

What are the challenges that middle management faces?

1. Transitioning from employee to manager: Most managers usually take time to settle into their leadership roles after being promoted. They grapple with the difference between working and getting things done. In one case, it was found that a sales superstar promoted to sales manager was completely unable to manage the transition. His micromanaging practices upset his team and despite repeated consultations, he couldn’t break the habit. This happens in many organizations because they cannot think of viable alternatives. By promoting him, the organization lost a good employee and had a bad manager as a bad bargain.

2. Struggling with the demands of the new role: The management role brings in budgeting, profit and loss (P&L) management, strategic issues, presentations, annual plans… Almost none Is there any organization that has provided formal training programs for managers in these areas. This makes the task very difficult for some middle managers.

3. Team Management: Manage people, conduct assessments, interact with the team, motivate them to do well, know when to and shouldn’t pressure, these are the better aspects of leading and Give people time to learn. Unfortunately, the increased pressure of the day-to-day business means that managers have to run fast and unprepared. This means that in many cases, they may not fully understand their team members. And this problem becomes even more complicated when one person is managing a team across many different geographies

4. The ability to balance both sides: This is the dilemma of most middle managers – If he is too friendly with his employees, he risks being perceived by senior management as ‘ one of them’. If he cooperates with senior managers, he runs the risk of being alienated by his employees. The ability to keep both sides happy is a challenge.

5. Specific challenges faced by female managers: Today, many women have taken up middle management roles, such as branch managers at top banks, and have excelled in these roles. However, these roles today also require socialization whether it’s drinking with the team or responding to sporting activities on the weekends. Many good women managers end up feeling guilty because they can’t engage in those activities with their employees.

How will the organization be able to help them?

As we have seen, if an organization can build a good middle management team, it will bring many benefits. Organizations can help these managers in their transition by:

1. Provide Coaching and Mentoring: Instead of being thrown into the pack, managers need to be briefed on the expectations and soft skills needed to succeed in their roles. Organizations should have regular training to update skills, and need a good coach to advise and prepare managers for the softer coaching aspects of their new role. Successful organizations often have a mentoring program. Some organizations have included mentoring programs in the KRA/KPI of senior leaders for it to be taken seriously.

2. Ensure a special consultative approach in decisions affecting managers or their teams: As a senior leader, I have had the frustrating task of making lists to cut staff. members from our retail branches nationwide. This exercise was mostly done at the corporate headquarters (HQ) in consultation with HR and the branch managers were not consulted! Imagine, you’re sitting in a far corner of the country and you don’t even know how the fates of some of your team members are being decided. It is important that middle management should be consulted when their team members are rewarded or reprimanded or transferred.

3. Managers familiar with regulatory implications: To achieve daily goals, middle managers often forget the big picture. This can have serious regulatory compliance and could permanently damage an organization’s brand. We all know about the controversy that was created a while back with some bankers allegedly crossing the line while opening new accounts. We are often told that good compliance is good business – this is not a cliché but a reality in today’s hard times.

4. Communicate Regularly: In the survey, middle managers cited a lack of information on purpose as one of the top reasons to quit (a bad boss is almost always the reason). No. 1). In my experience, most good organizations have regular forums for the exchange of communication. Especially during recent difficult times, regular communication is even more essential.

Compiled by GEM Global

Reference source: Business Today