How to Protect Your Middle Management

At larger companies, middle management serves an important function. Simply put, middle managers play a vital role in liaising between executives and entry-level employees, ensuring strategic alignment and operational efficiency.

Lately, studies have shown that middle management is actually in jeopardy, with more and more employees eschewing these mid-level positions. Many reasons have been given for the decline of middle management, including workplace burnout, inadequate work-life balance, or a lack of clarity about expectations.

All of this raises a question: What can HR leaders do to ensure that their middle managers are well cared for? We have a few suggestions.

Taking Care of Middle Management

Consider a few guidelines to keep your middle managers happy and engaged.

Reduce Reporting Requirements

One thing that quickly drains time and energy from your middle managers is the need to file seemingly endless operational reports, sharing their intel with executives on a monthly or even a weekly basis. Consider cutting back on reporting requirements (or using AI to automate some of your reports), or even getting rid of the reports that don’t really get read. Free more time for managers to interact with their team members or to do meaningful creative work.

Provide More Autonomy

Nobody likes to be micromanaged, and that includes the people you have in middle management positions. One way to reduce micromanagement is to come up with a clear set of guardrails: Determine, as a department or as a company, which areas require more oversight, and which areas can accommodate more freedom and independence.

Allow Middle Management to Air Their Concerns

Something else to consider is that many middle managers feel like they lack a safe space to share their fears, struggles, or concerns. Make sure your middle managers know where they can turn when they need to process or troubleshoot issues, without fear of finger-pointing. Make sure the lines of dialogue remain open and unencumbered.

Explain Why Their Roles Matter

The “mushy middle” sometimes struggles to identify their import in the workplace. Provide middle managers with regular reminders of how their role fits into the big picture, and how their daily activities promote team goals and core business objectives. Do everything you can to keep middle management from feeling like they’re just doing “busywork.”

Provide Training That Makes a Difference

While nobody likes wasting time in training sessions that feel pointless or disconnected from daily realities, everyone wants to feel supported in their professional development. Provide opportunities for your middle managers to get additional training and collect feedback to ensure the sessions offered are actually meaningful.

Safeguard Middle Management

The bottom line: Employees who work in middle management play an important role in keeping your company running smoothly and effectively. Protect these important positions however you can. And with any questions, reach out to FullHR directly.