Stuck in Middle Management? You're More Important Than You Think

Work Wednesday

In a tough economy, the idea of striking out on your own as an entrepreneur can seem a little daunting, especially if you're a new parent. That's why some of us hang on to our full-time or part-time jobs, often "in middle management". We take that morning train, punch the clock, and report for work as suffering drones who shuffle papers, update Gantt charts, and poke our heads into cubicles to say things like "Heyyy. How's that agenda coming?" 

Seems pointless, doesn't it? But take heart. A recent study by Stanford and the World Bank shows that good middle management is what makes workplaces, well, work.

The study took a bunch of textile factories in India - workplaces unsullied by middle management - and gave some of them 4 months of free management training, conducted by Accenture. The results were astounding. "Before" photos show random piles of fabric and trash thrown all over the place. After some basic management training, the pictures show products neatly stacked and labeled. Managers suddenly had ways to track how much stuff they were making, how quickly, and how well, and report all this to the company's executives.

It sounds pretty basic, I know. But I've seen companies in America who haven't figured this stuff out yet. Keep records? File monthly reports? We are too awesome for that! These companies might be led by smart, creative, hardworking people, but without effective middle management they can't grow. Next time you're explaining to an underling how to correctly fill out a form and you start to get mopey about the soul-sucking bureaucracy you're part of, imagine your workplace without any bureaucracy at all.

For that matter, imagine the U.S. government without bureaucracy.  If we took out all those frustrating middle layers between a "brilliant" idea and the passage of a new law, it would be super easy for a "brilliant" dictator to sweep in and make it illegal to wear pants. You should at least have to fill out some paperwork and wait in line to get that law passed.

But I'm getting off track. If you're still feeling stuck and yearning to be your own boss, think of it this way: Someday, you're going to need some good middle managers and a few forms and processes of your own. Your experience now will help you turn your ideas into something sustainable. In the meantime, know that you're essential - and go ask for that raise.

Photo by mattmarque on Flickr.

Comments

[Katherine]

I love this post! When I worked for corporate America, (as an employee, not a service provider) I often felt that the middle managers had the toughest, most thankless jobs in the organization. We worker bees merely had to do our jobs well and provide our bosses with ammunition to advocate for whatever we wanted (a certain project approved, work travel proposals, time off, etc.). They were the ones who walked in front of the firing squad every day -- stuck between the mercurial upper management and the demanding front lines.

[Dr. S]

What a great comment!