Thriving in the Front Lines of management

Front-line management is a tough gig. Balancing directives from above and managing direct reports can feel like a never-ending squeeze. Having lived this experience for several years, I can relate to these challenges firsthand. However, middle management is also a place of immense opportunity for those who can navigate it effectively.

On the one hand, you’re running at full steam to achieve your core objectives (hitting your number, delivering that key project, completing financial planning…), whilst on the other hand delivering leadership priorities and on the other hand (yes, that’s a third hand) it's critical to ensure your direct reports thrive in their careers and have an engaged manager. You’re effectively squashed.

A McKinsey report found 44% of middle managers are unhappy in their current roles and a survey conducted by Accenture revealed that 20% of middle managers in the UK were actively looking for new opportunities.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, for those who figure out how to balance these spinning plates, this can be one of the most fulfilling stages of your career and the place where you can blend high impact strategy and practical execution by rolling up your sleeves and getting things done. It’s the most wonderful feeling seeing one of your team members getting that promotion or making clear strides in their development.

So what do managers actually do?

I’ll be as bold as to say managers are the backbone of an organization. Bridging upper management and individual contributors (IC’s), ensuring that strategic goals are effectively communicated and executed at all levels. Managers are needed to get things done.

A key issue is that they are spending nearly half of their time on administrative tasks rather than on high-value activities like people management and strategy development (McKinsey & Company ). ???????????????

Middle managers are typically responsible for:

• Implementing Strategy: Translating high-level strategies into actionable plans.
• Managing Teams: Overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring team productivity.
• Driving Change: Leading and managing change initiatives to improve efficiency and performance.
• Supporting Employee Development: Mentoring and developing team members to enhance their skills and career growth.

What’s currently trending in the management space?

Less layers means more middle managers

In recent years, there is a noticeable bulge in the middle management layer, driven by several factors, including the flattening of organizational hierarchies in the pursuit of cost optimization, increased margins and to becoming more agile. This inevitably has meant either more middle managers, more responsibilities or a combination of the two. ?

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the number of managers reporting directly to CEOs in large corporations increased from an average of four in the late 1980s to seven today. This reduction in layers aims to streamline operations and improve responsiveness to market changes (NBER ).

The role is evolving

The role is transitioning from traditionally supervisory to emphasizing coaching and collaboration. This shift is driven by the need to support more autonomous and creative work environments. Managers are now expected to inspire and developing their teams rather than simply directing them. This trend has been heavily accelerated with hybrid work models.

Accidental managers

This responsibility of developing IC’s requires specific coaching skills that not necessarily part of onboarding/training. ?CMI Research found that 82% of managers who enter a management role have not had any formal management or leadership training.

This is often the case as high performing reps are naturally promoted to managers as its “the logical step”, but this is not a guarantee of success/happiness. It can require a new skillset, extra coaching and even a pay cut (if they were crushing quota). Without training and support, these accidental managers can have a significantly negative impact on large population of your business and themselves can face burnout and elevated stress. People leave bad managers.

On the flipside, good managers increase in organisational performance, and have shown to have a 32% increase in employee engagement and productivity (CMI research – I would highly recommend their good management report ).

So What?

All this responsibility comes at a cost if we keep increasing the middle manager layer without preparing accidental managers with the tools, training and support.

Good managers have the ability to execute on the dreams & vision of senior executives. They also have a wide-spread impact on individual contributors with the opportunity to transform their careers and keep them motivated.

It’s a good time to take this large (and growing) population of the workforce seriously and find ways to set them up for success in their roles and also their own careers.