17 Apr The Emerging Role of Middle Managers in Organizational Change

“As dealing with change becomes a regular activity, leading it becomes a skill to hone, an internal capacity to master. “– Arnaud Henneville

There used to be a time when organizational change was something only the senior management was bothered about. The lower-level employees were content being told what needed to be done and doing their work without complaints. But the times are changing. More emphasis is now being placed on innovation, and change is now being initiated by middle managers and communicated to all areas of the organization.

Change initiatives that only involve the top management often fail due to the lack of employee support. A recent survey has shown that 75% of change programs fail due to this reason. In today’s business world, change must be clearly communicated and accepted at all levels of the organization for it to be effective.

Middle Managers Then

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” – Joel A. Barker

Earlier, middle managers were mere conduits connecting the top management with the lower-level workers. They received instructions from above, and passed it down below, without knowing in detail about the impact of their work on the company as a whole. For this reason, they were often viewed by the public as faceless bureaucrats, so institutionalized that they have stopped questioning the nature of their work.

A fine criticism of bureaucratic middle managers can be found in Franz Kafka’s novel ‘The Trial’, published in 1925. In this novel, a group of officials arrive at the apartment of the protagonist Josef and tells him that he is under arrest. They do not give any valid reason for his arrest, simply stating that such matters are only known to higher authorities and that they are simply following orders.

Josef is later instructed to attend a trial at a court. He is given an address but not the exact time, or the room in the building where the court is located. When he finally manages to find the court in the attic, he is reprimanded by the officials for being late. Josef loses his patience and expresses his disgust about the accusation and the trial in front of everyone present at the court.

Because he is never told what he is accused of, Josef does not take the case very seriously. In spite of this, he seeks help from his uncle, a lawyer, and a priest at a church. But he seems to always arrive at a dead end.

The role of middle managers used to be transactional in nature. They served as a link that connected the senior executives high up the corporate ladder with lower-level employees tasked with acting out the strategies set by the executives. In traditional organizations, this system of hierarchy was replicated several times across the organizational terrain. But the downside to this was that the pace of work slowed down.

The prevalent idea was that if change initiatives happened at the topmost level, it would eventually spread throughout the organization as a part of the natural process. Everyone thought that since senior managers have a better view of the organization from up top, they have a clear idea about how the different business elements fit together. They were thought to be in a better position to make strategic decisions for a company.

Middle Managers Now

“Companies that change may survive, but companies that transform thrive. Change brings incremental or small-scale adaptations, while transformation brings great improvements that ripple through the future of an organization.”– Nick Candito

There is historical evidence to support that following a system like the one mentioned above worked out for the majority of organizations. But companies are growing increasingly flexible. A recent study into initiating change in a business environment suggests that companies should reevaluate the way in which change is implemented. Organizations have started turning to middle managers for change initiatives. Their roles are now being redefined.

Due to an increase in customer demands over the years, business organizations now need to deliver on their promises swiftly. The market is more competitive than ever before, and companies have realized the fact that innovation is the key to survival. In order to thrive in this competitive world of business, one needs to set themself apart from the crowd.

Stories about middle managers taking control of the situation can be found everywhere nowadays. Let us take the example of Luis Urzua. In the year 2010, Mr. Urzua was working as a foreman for a mining company in Chile, when suddenly the mine collapsed and 33 men were trapped underground in a 700-meter deep cavern.

As a middle-level manager, Mr. Urzua knew he had to take charge of the situation. He organized all the men and chalked out a plan for long-term survival. He knew that all the men trapped in the mine were in much need for mental support and that it was his duty as a their manager, to ensure that they received it.

He drew a map of the mine and established a line of communication with the engineers outside who were trying to free them. He remained calm and composed during the entire situation and was the last one to be rescued. Even after getting out of such a nightmarish situation, he merely remarked that it had been a rather long shift.

The above story is one of the many examples of middle managers setting examples for their subordinates. It tells us that leadership quality should be present at every level of the organization. Today’s business world is much like working in a mine. There are unknown dangers that might arrive at any time. One has to be ready to face such changes, and as such innovation is considered the most valuable quality in an employee today.

The Nature of Change in Today’s World

Powerful and sustained change requires constant communication, not only throughout the rollout but after the major elements of the plan are in place. The more kinds of communication employed, the more effective they are. – DeAnne Aguirre

Earlier, changes in a company were considered to be single events. This included outside changes, as well as internal ones, initiated by the top management in an organization. These changes were independent and easily identifiable. One could point out the beginning and the endpoints for such changes. But things have become more complicated now. In today’s business world, these change events occur all at once, and they are interconnected. As such, it becomes difficult to deal with individual changes one at a time. This has created a complicated situation where many individuals in an organization are not entirely sure how to deal with such a complex change.

In order to bring balance to this disequilibrium, middle managers are stepping in. Always stuck in the doldrums before, they are now finding their true purpose within a corporate framework. They are now leading the change programs and emerging as leaders. Middle managers are now developing networking skills and recruiting members for their project teams. They are establishing interpersonal relationships with their team members and influencing them in a positive manner.

Communication skills are being given importance to, and many middle managers are catching the eye of senior executives, as well as earning the respect of their subordinates. With their improved communication skills, they are now facilitating cross-platform discussions, to arrive at efficient solutions.

In a business environment where change is the only constant, the role of middle managers has never been so vital. From simple managers, they are turning into efficient leaders. Apart from dealing with change, they have to deal with how the change is affecting the workers in an organization. Middle managers are not only initiating change, but they are helping others adapt to it. Forming an accountability and ownership mentality is part of the middle manager’s role now.

Conclusion

In this new era of constant and unpredictable change, we need leadership qualities everywhere in the organization. Middle managers are in a perfect position to lead such changes and help others adjust to them. As the world of business grows more volatile, middle managers emerge as the new breed of leaders.