Middle management – the key to connected workplaces
Middle managers are the engine of your business, the cog that keeps the wheels turning and the glue that keeps it together - but they’re in a giant game of tug-of-war between their bosses and direct reports. Put bluntly, businesses are on the verge of a mass mental breakdown around their midriffs.
With the world of work turning on its axis, middle managers are experiencing more financial and emotional pressure than ever before. So, who is supporting the supporters? Who is managing the middle managers’ ‘mental wealth?' Organisations looking to improve productivity, reduce sick leave and improve employee retention must pay more attention to this increasingly put-upon section of the workforce. It’s time for CEOs to step up and realise that it’s their employees who drive their profits and those people need looking after.
Additionally, middle managers are having to prove their worth and keep people in line so they don’t lose their jobs. They are being squeezed from every angle.
They are managing both up and down and are not given the appropriate tools to look after their teams; many of whom will need individual support. They are even more susceptible to mental health issues or burnout.
A recent Microsoft investigation reported that 48% of employees say that they’re already burned out at work, while 53% of managers feel the same. How do we ensure they are equipped to top up their own - as well as many other people's - 'mental wealth' banks? They must be cared for on every level because they are going to need support systems more than anyone.
The simple answer is that CEOs need to step up and nurture those people who find themselves in very precarious positions right now. As a big business leader, you've got to think about the human level of the people that you're managing.
The boss of a large company recently asked me, “Why do we have a responsibility for people’s psychological welling?” I replied, “Well, you wouldn't put someone in a hazardous work situation when it comes to physical or medical first aid, so why do you think it's alright to put them in a hazardous situation when it comes to mental health first aid?”
Another CEO said that just because they’re in leadership they shouldn’t suddenly be expected to be therapists. Her feeling was that she is in no way responsible for psychological safety in the workplace.
“You wouldn't put someone in a hazardous work situation when it comes to physical or medical first aid, so why do you think it's alright to put them in a hazardous situation when it comes to mental health first aid?”
My point was that regardless of whether we agree (and clearly, I don’t!), there is a mental health tsunami that COVID has exasperated, predominantly in the younger generation.
Whether you like it or not, we have a responsibility because it’s entirely possible people may join a company having already been psychologically damaged. If we want to ensure that we've got productive and healthy workplaces, we have to support everyone.
The headache of hybrid
A report from the Future Forum finds that middle managers are more stressed than any of their co-workers. Not only do they have the pressure of hitting targets but as the pandemic has waned, they are now faced with the new pressure of delivering likely unpopular return-to-work mandates and hybrid work policies.
Leading hybrid teams is a massive challenge. Middle managers are now dealing with shifting employee expectations and working patterns. They are balancing the big bosses’ desire to get them back into the office on certain days while reports prove that people are wanting more autonomy over workdays and working models.
It is incredibly difficult to keep track of how employees are coping on both a productivity and happiness level if you don’t have much interaction with them. Employees can also feel disconnected if they miss out on key social events because they work remotely. The juggle struggle is real, and we are in the middle of an unprecedented workplace transition.
Middle managers are at risk of burnout and emotional labour, and quite frankly they need some serious looking after.
Then there are the layoffs.
Left to the ‘bad guy’
CEOs are undoubtedly having to be more ruthless about job cuts in the current economic crisis, but it’s not them who have to take on the responsibility of delivering the bad news. Instead it is passed on to middle management who, in the process, often ends up being seen as the office bad guy.
Middle managers have to manage people, boost morale, both in the office and over video meetings and do the hiring and firing. Even if the demands are coming from above, it's hard to still appear human and approachable when you have an air of danger about you. No wonder some employees don’t always feel like they can’t trust their managers.
The tech sector, in particular, is haemorrhaging staff at the moment. The need for a strong and well-equipped middle management is absolutely critical to ensure teams remain buoyant and productive rather than frozen with fear.
A recent PUSH report showed that one in five employees say their manager “doesn’t get the best out of me,” and a huge 89% say their manager either “only cares about their own career” or “doesn’t make any effort”.
Worryingly, 93% of C-Suite Executives say “managers hold the key to staff retention,”, but a third of C-Suite Executives do not believe that their managers have the expertise to be effective people leaders. But what do they expect when less than one in four managers say their company has provided even “basic training”?
It’s for this reason PUSH has created the much-needed leadership programme and middle managers programme. Our Mental Health for Managers programme up-skills managers in the key areas of mental health and well-being, making sure they feel confident and armed with the tools and behaviours they need to understand and manage associated challenges in their teams.
Placing sole responsibility on middle managers to address and solve everyone's problems ignores the bigger picture. We need to recognise them as connected leaders who are crucial to the success of our business and the happiness of our people. Without the right tools, strategies and skill sets, it’s very hard for even the best manager to adequately support employees in an entirely new work-life dynamic. They are facing more complex challenges than ever before, and yet they have never had the level of training that is now needed.
New skills for a new work culture
CEOs need to be role models in all of this and that's a part of the problem. If you've got a CEO upfront who is not being a leader or behaving with kindness, it’s a massive problem. We know that CEOs have to be leading the charge in order for the middle management to step in.
Now is the time that middle managers need to be up-skilled to enable them to become genuine people leaders. The reality is that many are lacking the soft skills needed to look after teams in this new world of work.
What’s needed is proper training, coaching and psychological support, and a culture of transparency and humility, and KPIs that are based on wellbeing as well as wealth. Things need to change in terms of what success looks like and it isn’t just about hitting targets.
More than ever, it’s time to be human and re-frame and reset goals. Let's be really clear about what that means; trust people, be kind, be more open, be vulnerable and honest about how you're feeling. Go into it looking for connection with people. Ask yourself if you are a great leader? And if not, what skills are missing to make you one?
5 top tips for middle managers right now
1. Create a culture of communication
The employee-manager relationship isn't a given. It takes time to nourish and build rapport. This is hands down more challenging when you aren't together. Virtual bonding can feel awkward compared to informal tea breaks in the office. Resist the temptation to jump straight to business, the chit-chat matters.
2. Clear expectations are a must
Hybrid working means team members have more autonomy in the way they manage their workload. This can be empowering, but they need guidance to know they are focusing on the right things. Weekly 1:1 check-ins make a huge difference, offering up space to address concerns, remove barriers and set your team members up for success.
3. Celebrate achievements, big and small
Recognition matters. They all need to count, whether it's a small or a big win. Celebrating success will drive motivation in your team. Be an advocate and escalate outstanding achievements to senior management. Morale is particularly essential when you aren't all together.
4. Ask for feedback
Knowing what your team wants and needs is essential to being a successful manager and leader. While giving your team a voice will help them become more engaged, strengthening your relationship. Take the time to explain how you will consider feedback and consider making adjustments accordingly.
5. Show empathy
Managers who genuinely want to understand the unique experience of each team member will be the ones with more engaged, happier employees who then have the capacity to be more innovative. Active listening, coupled with sensitive questions, is key to uncover team members' challenges and circumstances.
If you enjoyed this article and want to delve deeper, we have a wide selection of resources available in the PUSH Perspectives section of our website.
For more like this, subscribe to our newsletter.
Middle management – the key to connected workplaces
Middle managers are the engine of your business, the cog that keeps the wheels turning and the glue that keeps it together - but they’re in a giant game of tug-of-war between their bosses and direct reports. Put bluntly, businesses are on the verge of a mass mental breakdown around their midriffs.
With the world of work turning on its axis, middle managers are experiencing more financial and emotional pressure than ever before. So, who is supporting the supporters? Who is managing the middle managers’ ‘mental wealth?' Organisations looking to improve productivity, reduce sick leave and improve employee retention must pay more attention to this increasingly put-upon section of the workforce. It’s time for CEOs to step up and realise that it’s their employees who drive their profits and those people need looking after.
Additionally, middle managers are having to prove their worth and keep people in line so they don’t lose their jobs. They are being squeezed from every angle.
They are managing both up and down and are not given the appropriate tools to look after their teams; many of whom will need individual support. They are even more susceptible to mental health issues or burnout.
A recent Microsoft investigation reported that 48% of employees say that they’re already burned out at work, while 53% of managers feel the same. How do we ensure they are equipped to top up their own - as well as many other people's - 'mental wealth' banks? They must be cared for on every level because they are going to need support systems more than anyone.
The simple answer is that CEOs need to step up and nurture those people who find themselves in very precarious positions right now. As a big business leader, you've got to think about the human level of the people that you're managing.
The boss of a large company recently asked me, “Why do we have a responsibility for people’s psychological welling?” I replied, “Well, you wouldn't put someone in a hazardous work situation when it comes to physical or medical first aid, so why do you think it's alright to put them in a hazardous situation when it comes to mental health first aid?”
Another CEO said that just because they’re in leadership they shouldn’t suddenly be expected to be therapists. Her feeling was that she is in no way responsible for psychological safety in the workplace.
“You wouldn't put someone in a hazardous work situation when it comes to physical or medical first aid, so why do you think it's alright to put them in a hazardous situation when it comes to mental health first aid?”
My point was that regardless of whether we agree (and clearly, I don’t!), there is a mental health tsunami that COVID has exasperated, predominantly in the younger generation.
Whether you like it or not, we have a responsibility because it’s entirely possible people may join a company having already been psychologically damaged. If we want to ensure that we've got productive and healthy workplaces, we have to support everyone.
The headache of hybrid
A report from the Future Forum finds that middle managers are more stressed than any of their co-workers. Not only do they have the pressure of hitting targets but as the pandemic has waned, they are now faced with the new pressure of delivering likely unpopular return-to-work mandates and hybrid work policies.
Leading hybrid teams is a massive challenge. Middle managers are now dealing with shifting employee expectations and working patterns. They are balancing the big bosses’ desire to get them back into the office on certain days while reports prove that people are wanting more autonomy over workdays and working models.
It is incredibly difficult to keep track of how employees are coping on both a productivity and happiness level if you don’t have much interaction with them. Employees can also feel disconnected if they miss out on key social events because they work remotely. The juggle struggle is real, and we are in the middle of an unprecedented workplace transition.
Middle managers are at risk of burnout and emotional labour, and quite frankly they need some serious looking after.
Then there are the layoffs.
Left to the ‘bad guy’
CEOs are undoubtedly having to be more ruthless about job cuts in the current economic crisis, but it’s not them who have to take on the responsibility of delivering the bad news. Instead it is passed on to middle management who, in the process, often ends up being seen as the office bad guy.
Middle managers have to manage people, boost morale, both in the office and over video meetings and do the hiring and firing. Even if the demands are coming from above, it's hard to still appear human and approachable when you have an air of danger about you. No wonder some employees don’t always feel like they can’t trust their managers.
The tech sector, in particular, is haemorrhaging staff at the moment. The need for a strong and well-equipped middle management is absolutely critical to ensure teams remain buoyant and productive rather than frozen with fear.
A recent PUSH report showed that one in five employees say their manager “doesn’t get the best out of me,” and a huge 89% say their manager either “only cares about their own career” or “doesn’t make any effort”.
Worryingly, 93% of C-Suite Executives say “managers hold the key to staff retention,”, but a third of C-Suite Executives do not believe that their managers have the expertise to be effective people leaders. But what do they expect when less than one in four managers say their company has provided even “basic training”?
It’s for this reason PUSH has created the much-needed leadership programme and middle managers programme. Our Mental Health for Managers programme up-skills managers in the key areas of mental health and well-being, making sure they feel confident and armed with the tools and behaviours they need to understand and manage associated challenges in their teams.
Placing sole responsibility on middle managers to address and solve everyone's problems ignores the bigger picture. We need to recognise them as connected leaders who are crucial to the success of our business and the happiness of our people. Without the right tools, strategies and skill sets, it’s very hard for even the best manager to adequately support employees in an entirely new work-life dynamic. They are facing more complex challenges than ever before, and yet they have never had the level of training that is now needed.
New skills for a new work culture
CEOs need to be role models in all of this and that's a part of the problem. If you've got a CEO upfront who is not being a leader or behaving with kindness, it’s a massive problem. We know that CEOs have to be leading the charge in order for the middle management to step in.
Now is the time that middle managers need to be up-skilled to enable them to become genuine people leaders. The reality is that many are lacking the soft skills needed to look after teams in this new world of work.
What’s needed is proper training, coaching and psychological support, and a culture of transparency and humility, and KPIs that are based on wellbeing as well as wealth. Things need to change in terms of what success looks like and it isn’t just about hitting targets.
More than ever, it’s time to be human and re-frame and reset goals. Let's be really clear about what that means; trust people, be kind, be more open, be vulnerable and honest about how you're feeling. Go into it looking for connection with people. Ask yourself if you are a great leader? And if not, what skills are missing to make you one?
5 top tips for middle managers right now
1. Create a culture of communication
The employee-manager relationship isn't a given. It takes time to nourish and build rapport. This is hands down more challenging when you aren't together. Virtual bonding can feel awkward compared to informal tea breaks in the office. Resist the temptation to jump straight to business, the chit-chat matters.
2. Clear expectations are a must
Hybrid working means team members have more autonomy in the way they manage their workload. This can be empowering, but they need guidance to know they are focusing on the right things. Weekly 1:1 check-ins make a huge difference, offering up space to address concerns, remove barriers and set your team members up for success.
3. Celebrate achievements, big and small
Recognition matters. They all need to count, whether it's a small or a big win. Celebrating success will drive motivation in your team. Be an advocate and escalate outstanding achievements to senior management. Morale is particularly essential when you aren't all together.
4. Ask for feedback
Knowing what your team wants and needs is essential to being a successful manager and leader. While giving your team a voice will help them become more engaged, strengthening your relationship. Take the time to explain how you will consider feedback and consider making adjustments accordingly.
5. Show empathy
Managers who genuinely want to understand the unique experience of each team member will be the ones with more engaged, happier employees who then have the capacity to be more innovative. Active listening, coupled with sensitive questions, is key to uncover team members' challenges and circumstances.
If you enjoyed this article and want to delve deeper, we have a wide selection of resources available in the PUSH Perspectives section of our website.
For more like this, subscribe to our newsletter.
