Posted by: Ken Pilone
Think about this. If you want to become a plumber so you can clean out other peoples’ toilets, you’ll need a license. If you want to give manicures, you’ll need a license. Before you can cut somebody’s hair, you guessed it; you’ll need a license. But, if you want to be a supervisor or manager, NO formal training, certification or standards are required! No license necessary!
So, you can have an enormous impact on the life, health, security, self-esteem and even lifestyle of your people (and their families) without so much as an hour of preparation!
Remember the story about the farmer who asked his chicken and his pig to help him make breakfast? The chicken gave him eggs, the pig provided the ham. Put another way, the chicken was involved; the pig was committed! When it comes to supervisors and managers, how committed are they in your farm?
Contrary to what most consultants worry about, I’m not too concerned about top level executive support (I know this is blasphemy, but read on). In my experience, most of them get it. That is to say, they know they need to move their organizations forward. They read the books, talk to other execs, see what their competitors are doing and are often frustrated with what is going on inside their own companies. They get beat up regularly by their boards of directors and shareholders. They want very much to shake things up and overcome the status quo. There is no lack of motivation here. All they need is credible help to nudge their staff along and overcome that negative inertia.
Likewise, I don’t worry about the bottom of the chain-of-command either. These workers are in the trenches doing their best to try to make a difference. They see the problems, want to contribute and are eager to help if anybody bothers to ask them what needs fixing. They just need a voice, support and permission to use their God-given talents to solve problems.
I DO worry about middle management. A lot. That’s why I titled this thing, the ‘missing middle’. They are the insulating layer(s) between the top and bottom. But, they also have the most to lose by taking risks. They get pressure from every direction top, bottom and the sides. Their boss wants more of them, workers want direction and meaning in their work, peers want their unselfish cooperation regardless of the circumstances and customers want action. Supervisors and middle managers (or mid-level managers) are the company’s shock absorbers.
If that isn’t enough in ‘normal’ times, it’s even worse in this economy as companies struggle to do more with less. As layoffs and other cost-cutting moves take effect, supervisor and middle managers are left to pick up the pieces. They become over-burdened, stressed out, confused and paranoid.
In fact, most organizational initiatives fail, not because they were bad ideas but because their strategies failed to take into account the critical importance of their supervisors and middle managers. Think back on past management initiatives. There was the MBO, TQM, Quality Circles, the Baldridge Award, the Balanced Scorecard, ISO Certification, Six Sigma, etc, etc, etc. Remember those? Are you happy with the results you got from them? If not, why not? Did you get a return on your training ‘investment?
Most companies engaged in the latest management flavor-of-the-month because they were hoping those programs would actually DO something. Think back. How committed were your mid-level managers/supervisors? What did those initiatives mean to THEM? Most of us spent at least some time in those seats. Remember what it felt like to be there?
Here’s the good news. It’s fixable. The way to move the organization forward is to engage your mid-level managers up FRONT; deliberately! Figure out what they need to overcome their own well-deserved skepticism and natural resistance to change. Think of this as turning the organization inside out. They will make you or break you. Does it make sense to ignore them or to shove the latest flavor down their throats? These supervisors have a multiplier impact. Positive or negative, it makes no difference.
Finally, ask yourself how these folks became supervisors and middle managers in the first place? Was it because they were the most senior? Were they the best among their peers? Or were they graduates of a conscious, deliberate training program to help them morph into the role of supervisor?
Most supervisors and mid-level managers get promoted or hired into their jobs based on experience, training or technical expertise. They are generally NOT well prepared to coach or develop their employees. Coaching just comes with the job but is not considered as high a priority as technical competence. Read the supervisor or middle manager job description of your company. Is coaching even mentioned? If so, are they held accountable to it? If not, why not? The consequences of failure in this arena can cost you. Big time.
This should keep you awake at night; according to Gallup’s research group, when it comes to attitudes people have about their jobs and their companies, immediate supervisors and middle managers trump ALL other factors! So when your people go home after work, it is the supervisor that gets talked about over the kitchen table. It is the supervisor who has the biggest impact on their lives and yes, even their health. People don’t quit companies, they quit supervisors! And yet, they tend to be the most neglected and circumvented group within the whole organization!
Moral of the story, if you really want to improve your company, do whatever it takes to make sure your middle managers and supervisors are prepared to lead and coach others and make sure they are aligned with the direction your company is taking. Ask yourself, what it would take to ensure that my supervisors are really committed to our direction, not just involved?
As always, we are here to help.
