Navigating Workplace Friction: A Middle Manager's Guide

In today's challenging business landscape, middle management often finds themselves at the nexus of strategy and execution, continuously required to optimise team performance amidst the buzzwords of "efficiency" and "productivity".

Yet, within the cacophony of corporate jargon (it's time to grab the low-hanging fruit and turn it into a win-win scenario that'll really move the needle), one truth remains clear: addressing internal friction within business remains paramount to delivering peak performance at a team level.

Middle management, in my opinion the 'engine room' of business, is often required to grapple with both the reality of limited authority over large scale organisational changes while simultaneously managing teams within those same challenging high friction organisational systems, to deliver tangible results. It's a tough gig!

Sure, middle managers possess the power to influence their immediate work environment and their team but potentially not more than that. This 'circle of influence' however, presents an opportunity for middle management to enact real change within their teams by focusing on some key leadership, cultural, and structural interventions that can be made to reduce friction and ultimately enhance productivity and team performance.

Presented by renowned scholars Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao, "The Friction Project " is a pioneering endeavour aimed at identifying and addressing sources of friction within organisations. "The Friction Project" provides a number of frameworks that assist in a structured approach for Leaders to tackle workplace friction through key interventions. For simplicity and practicality, some of these elements are highlighted below:

Leadership Interventions

-> Setting Clear Expectations

Clearly communicate expectations for behaviour, performance, and goals to reduce ambiguity and prevent misunderstandings. While this is something we all think we do, it requires us to step away from the detail and ensure we're clear and the team understand what's required. As such, we should provide specific examples and guidelines to clarify expectations and promote alignment within the team.

-> Modelling Desired Behaviours

We need to lead by example, demonstrating openness, respect, and collaboration in our daily interactions. Let's encourage team members to emulate desired behaviours through recognition and reinforcement.

-> Providing Support and Resources

Let's ensure our team members have access to necessary resources, training, and support to perform their roles effectively where possible. Sure, we wont always have everything they need but let's try and make a plan and be resourceful and creative where needed. Additionally, let's proactively identify and address gaps in resources to prevent frustration and promote productivity in future.

Cultural Interventions

-> Building Trust

Let's foster a culture of trust and psychological safety where team members feel comfortable expressing ideas and concerns. Let's encourage open communication, debate, challenge and transparency to strengthen trust and promote collaboration and ultimately improvement.

-> Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion

Let's embrace diversity and foster an inclusive culture that values different perspectives and backgrounds. We need to actively seek input from diverse voices and ensure all team members feel valued, respected and heard.

-> Promoting Transparency

We need to share information openly and explain our decisions (both the decisions we make as well as the decisions taken by the business) to foster trust and reduce uncertainty. Let's create opportunities for dialogue as well as continued feedback loops to promote transparency and alignment.

Structural Interventions

-> Streamlining Processes

Let's attempt, wherever and however possible, to simplify bureaucratic procedures and eliminate unnecessary complexity to streamline workflows. Sure, not always easy in large businesses but a marginal improvement can make a difference. Let's regularly review and refine processes to remove bottlenecks and improve efficiency.

-> Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities

Let's clearly define roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority within the team to prevent conflicts and misunderstandings and let's champion both the autonomy to make decisions but simultaneously hold people accountable for that autonomy.

-> Facilitating Communication

Finally let's implement structures and tools, such as regular team meetings (with agendas and outcomes) and support collaborative platforms, to facilitate communication and information sharing. Additionally, let's encourage active listening and feedback to promote effective communication and collaboration.

Through setting clear expectations, pursuing supportive leadership, and a commitment to both management transparency and team collaboration, middle managers can drive meaningful change and propel their teams towards success.

While it's simple when laid out as above, that's not to say it's easy!

So while you're attempting to apply the above, remember that we're all just a rather intricate group of beings navigating our way through complex and often incredibly dynamic environments in an attempt to do our best. Our landscape is ever-changing and filled with numerous variables, most of which are often unknown, uncontrollable and beyond our grasp. And that's ok. Breath.

Because of the world in which we operate, it's crucial that we consistently revisit and refine our approach against this friction reducing framework, making adjustments as needed to achieve ongoing improvements by minimising as much friction wherever possible. Think marginal gains as a journey, not perfection as a destination.

Let's accept and acknowledge that we're not going to achieve flawless execution, even if we strive for it (which we should). Our aim as middle managers and team leaders is merely to chart a course aligned with our business and team vision and bring our people along with us while we relentlessly pursue consistent and sustained progress.

Command what can be controlled. Good luck out there!