Invest in your Middle Management team; here is why.

I have been line managing since I was 23, and I’ve observed many challenges and changes along the way. One challenge I don’t think we are talking about enough is — how do we ensure our managers are advocates and guardians of our company culture.

Line managers today face significant challenges that are frequently overlooked. They are now tasked with supporting multi-generational and hybrid or remote teams, with different work expectations, all at different phases in their lives, whilst navigating this new world of work.

The impact of a manager’s behaviour, working style, and mindset on employee experience and culture can be seismic. Productivity will decline without a wholesale rethink of how they work with teams.

Now’s the time for leadership teams to reshape the line manager's role and consider whether the systems, frameworks, and training in place support the culture they’re trying to foster. Setting clear expectations and freedom within those boundaries will alleviate pressure and ensure they meet the evolving needs of teams while focusing on growth.

Empowerment and setting a vision.

The nature of work has shifted. The ability to now choose when, where and how we work has become a priority for people. So the draconian top-down “command and control” approach is no longer a route to success (although I’d question whether it ever was).

This example needs to be led from the top, showing line managers how to encourage autonomous working amongst teams whilst motivating and guiding them in the right direction.?

Setting expectations and empowering teams to be accountable (I like the use of OKRs here — both at a company and granular team level) with the right support shifts from the micromanagement framework and does drive a happier team that sees how their individual contributions make a tangible impact to the business. Driving a fundamental performance-focused culture.?

While this strategy, in principle, does foster greater trust, psychological safety and “happiness” between managers, their teams and the wider business. We shouldn’t assume all line managers will be comfortable with this change, nor have the skills to get it right.?

Rebranding line managers.

Perhaps the core of this challenge is the word “Manager” and the definition we use here. Like the traditional way of working we are moving away from, should we reframe line management to coach??

As leaders, we need to do better; we must actively role model and demonstrate the importance of developing management skills needed today, such as active listening, empathy, promoting growth, and prioritising inclusion and collaboration, which will help managers drive performance without feeling overburdened.

This should go in hand in hand with a significant investment in training. For example, challenging line managers to adopt a growth mindset and pay attention to the wellness of their teams, upskilling them to be mental health first aiders that can spot the signs of burnout, or implementing tools to support this, like Vyou.?

Communities with a shared vision, purpose and direction

It’s hard to foster a community when teams are so disbursed. Whilst you may have communities and employee resource groups, the real silver bullet here is the line management community—supporting this community of people (whether through a management forum or like) with storytelling techniques ensures they can share the company's vision effectively. Helping your people to see the value and impact of their work. This only really works in an autonomous environment where psychological safety exists. Only then will people have the ability to connect through a collective goal and work towards the strategy and purpose you have set.?

Arming line managers with storytelling techniques will ensure they share the company’s vision effectively and help teams see the value in their work. Managers must give autonomy to employees, but they should also help teams connect by emphasising the collective goal they’re working towards.

We have shifted our attitudes to work in a way we may not see again for generations. To continue attracting and retaining the right people, leaders must not only recognise the impact a line manager has on both individuals and an organisation’s culture but reimagine their roles and ways of working in line with today’s people values.

Leadership teams that have a purpose at their core- invest in management communities and reward the right behaviour, to create a culture that supports the business's ambitions, that will directly impact productivity and profitability.