Connecting Teams for Success: Middle Management's Critical Role

Already much-maligned, the ranks of middle management are finding themselves the fat being cut from newly lean, mean machines. Their branches are increasingly seen by corporate leadership as deadweight on expansive organizational trees, ready to be trimmed and flattened. But, this trend points toward a devaluing of the intangible inner workings that keep all employees afloat. It isn’t so much that middle managers lack utility, more so they’re underutilized. Let’s look at five reasons why having effective middle managers is a better option:

1. Managers triage company needs: Effective middle management breaks down the large, uncut visions of the executive leadership team into digestible, bite-size pieces.
   
   
2. Managers are the connective tissue: If the executive team is the skeleton, and employees are the organs, effective middle managers are the cartilage and circulation providing both support and structure.
   
   
3. Managers are coaches: An effective middle manager sees the potential and weaknesses in employees, and develops their abilities, strengthening not only their teams but the company overall. 
   
   
4. Managers are the champions of company culture: They are the buoys tethering the modern workforce to where they earn their living, instead of swimming in a faceless sea of employees below an executive team.
      
5. ‍Managers are the future executive team: Rather than removing their roles entirely, leadership instead should remove the obstacles keeping middle managers from their full potential, investing in the next generation of VPs and COOs with legacy wisdom.

Middle managers are far more than organizational overhead; they're the critical connectivity layer enabling productivity throughout any company. They translate visions into actionable tasks, link the team's daily work with the company's broader goals, and nurture the culture that fuels our collective success. By recognizing their value and equipping them with the right tools, we not only safeguard the health of our organizational tree but ensure its growth and resilience. Effective middle management isn't expendable; it's essential, driving our journey towards innovation and excellence.