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Middle Management
Let’s face it being a middle manager is exhausting. The constant role switching from assertiveness to deference can take its toll at times. My current position as a middle manager has been my most challenging yet. I am expected to be a leader that produces results while answering and explaining results. All while being a productive subordinate and a good colleague to my peers. So I decided to share with you guys how I’ve been surviving as a middle manager this past year.
The Middle Management Struggle
When I started my new position last year I was HYPE! I was looking forward to working for a larger organization that had plenty of opportunities for growth. However, there were a few things that I didn’t expect that came along with being a middle manager for a large organization:
- managing and working with a multi-generation team
- ongoing stress and anxiety
- immense responsibility with minimal authority
- constant small talk aka being a fake extrovert
- constantly struggling to balance my work life and personal life
I am just about a year into this job and I still find myself struggling with one or more of the issues listed above (depending on the day). However, I work for an amazing supervisor who pulls my coat tail when I need it. She always keeps it 100 in a way that’s not offensive or demeaning. It helps to have a supervisor that has been in my shoes and understands my struggles.
How to Survive in Middle Management
Middle management isn’t my last stop in my professional journey, my goals are far-reaching. However, I must master the level I am at before I even think about taking on more responsibility and authority. This is the perfect opportunity for me to cultivate my leadership acumen while being a valuable employee. With that being said below are some tips on how I survive as a middle manager:
- Always Have a Backup Plan – be prepared with contingencies. Things doing always go as planned when trying to execute day-to-day efforts.
- Know Your Team – middle managers depend on their team for success. Make an effort to connect with your team formally and informally. Ensure they know you value them as people.
- Prioritize – complete primary objective first based on what senior management needs. Everything else can wait but must be completed.
- Be a Quick Study – take advantage of your access to senior management and learn from them. Especially if you intend on progressing through your organization. Learning on the fly will benefit you in the grand scheme.
- Learn from Your Mistakes – don’t let your mistakes weight you down. Learn from them and move on. Mistakes are inevitable but they don’t need to be a burden.
- Be Empathetic – care for those that report to you, they are a reflection of your you and your skills. They will also be the ones that help elevate you to new levels.
- Recharge as Needed – make time for self-care. The stress related to being a middle manager is real. Don’t burn yourself out. Take time off to recharge and refresh yourself.
- Build Relationships – be a colleague that your peers can count on. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you when things get tense. Your team is only as strong as your weakest link.
If your a middle manager like me then you’ve worked hard to get where you are. Embrace the challenge and keep pushing.
What work-related challenges do you face and how do you overcome them?
5 Comments
I love being a middle manager, mostly. I’m really good at delegating work to the person most talented to do it and giving positive and negative feedback. What I hate, though, is that I still have my own work to do. And it’s work that requires a lot of thought and the ability to be methodical and precise….which sucks when my subordinates are constantly interrupting. And they interrupt for totally legit reasons and I give them the time they need. But I like to work uninterrupted and it’s super hard to get my train of thought back in order to return to my own project. So that’s my struggle.
Wish I would have read this before I quit my middle management job (two days ago). I got some good take aways from this article. Keep giving content like this, I will be reading more. Thanks!!!
Love all the styles & braids
This is aswesome, and I appreciate this kind of content when trying to navigate through corporate america. I agree with all your points here. I am a middle manager (team lead), and have been for about 3 years. The most difficult part for me is making sure my team concerns are heard, and clear communication (genuine feedback) is conveyed to us from higher up. Last week I dropped the ball on an issue that was as simple as a email to our CEO, and it has been weighing on me all weekend. I hope to take the initiative of my team’s responsibility by coming back with a solution to the problem on Monday. Seriously this position is the most stressful (mentally) yet rewarding (professionally) season of my career. I agree if you have a supervisor or member of management willing to help keep you accountable, use them to your advantage. You’ll be surprised on what you learn if sitting in on a meeting or client conference call. Great post!!
I’ve worked hard to get into a middle management role. I’ve realized, though, that I no longer desire this career path. I’m now pursuing a career in education. This will be a big career change and I’m excited about it.