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September 05, 2007
What’s the mood of your middle managers?
If you’re working on introducing a new initiative or program, chances are good that you plan to rely on middle managers to communicate with their teams. That’s certainly a best practice—studies have consistently shown the importance of middle managers interpreting information—but it’s also risky.
Why? Because middle managers are increasingly overburdened, under-resourced and just plain cranky. My colleague just sent me an excellent USA Today article on the mood of middle managers. I recommend you not only read the article, but also use it as the basis for an analysis of your own middle managers.
According to USA Today writer Stephanie Armour, “middle-management jobs are fast falling out of favor as the brass ring loses its allure. Instead, the jobs are being seen as handcuffs that require long hours with scant reward—a onetime career goal now being shunned in large part by the newer generation of workers now entering the workforce.”
Here are some fascinating facts to back up this premise:
- Just four in 10 managers are extremely or very satisfied working for their employers, according to a 2007 survey of more than 1,400 respondents by Accenture. Forty-three percent of middle managers felt as if they were doing all the work but not getting credit for it.
- And 36% of middle managers are currently interested in making a career change, according to a new survey for CareerBuilder.com. That’s quite a bit higher than those working at the executive level, where just 13% are in the market for a job change.
What’s the problem? Too much work and not enough recognition. Too little flexibility and too much pressure. And a sense that all that time spent in meetings—70% of which is considered unproductive—is a waste of time and talent.
Do you know how people in your company feel about being a manager? You need to make it a priority to find out—and use this information to make smart decisions about involving managers in your efforts.
Posted by Alison Davis at September 5, 2007 02:12 PM