Improve interpersonal skills; enhance management performance; create effective teams; and improve communication within your organization!

 

  

 

 

In your position, you may be responsible for one or even a team of mediocre middle managers.  After reading this article, you may even classify yourself as one of them.   

 

So, what defines the mediocre middle manager? They are the managers who get the work done but don't think beyond what has to be completed in the short term. They rush from one task to another, always working hard and with good intentions, but in the long run, they fail to consider what’s most important to their company’s larger objectives. Although they may be dependable when it comes to short deadlines and heavy workloads, they add little value to their organization or the functions and people they manage.

 

Then there are mindful middle managers. They see the big picture. They know how to manage operational practices with an eye toward organizational initiatives, elevating their position from middleman to key player. 

 

Here are some examples of what you can expect from the mindful middle manager:

Are you fostering an accountability-based team, department, or organization? Accountability takes a step beyond responsibility. Responsibility is a felt obligation to act within an organization's values, whereas accountability adds that you can be called to answer for your own actions. 

 

In an accountability-based organization, the onus is not only on direct reports (and their reports) to be accountable, but also on managers and executives to produce a culture that fosters accountability in its employees.  This can be scary at first, but will pay off in the long run. So, how do you get started? By taking the time and effort to provide a combination of clear, specific, measurable goals for your direct reports and the tools, time, support and training to go along with those goals. 

 

Here are some specific attributes of an accountability-based culture:

Janis is a network engineer who joined the organization a few months ago. She has missed the mark in numerous technical aspects, which indicates that she doesn't understand her work and the system she is (supposedly) responsible for.

 

You are her manager, and you have been fielding complaint calls from your client and from Janis's colleagues. Yesterday you tried to give her constructive feedback, but she reacted defensively. The two of you exchanged words, and you ended up criticizing her work more broadly than you had intended to. Now Janis is upset and angry. She may even quit.

 

We are moving into an entirely different type of business climate.  This is in part from the twitches in the economy, but more than just people not buying things. There is a general recognition of finite resources and importance of sustainable operations.  

 

Here is a small example: My local grocery store uses 19 Billion plastic bags every year, and the management is requesting that customers consider using recyclable bags.  What if they got rid of those plastic bags entirely, or even by half?  Then the people who make the bags would go out of business.  This is a good example of a tiny shift in consumer habits that can profoundly affect a whole industry. 

In general, the people who are courageous, and those are the leaders who welcome learning.  They schedule workshops, read more, and spend time deliberately thinking; developing themselves and their people.  

 

Yes, because top decision makers cut training budget first.  This results in stumbling along with the skill set that got them into the situation they are in, leaving top talent unhappy, since they realize that the organization is not going to invest in their development.  In turn, they take flight as soon as the economy begins to turn.  It results in a "talent defection."  My forecast is that innovative companies (that value learning) will make greater progress than those who don't.

Although the business environment has changed over the years, my answer to that question remains the same: Communication.  Leaders must communicate often, effectively and respectfully.  That takes time and courage, because it includes telling people the truth and ensuring successful communication with everyone involved.