Stuck in the Middle
This paper is based on ‘Managing in the Middle’ by Barry Oshry, which can be found at www.executiveforum.com
Even in today’s world of flatter, leaner organisations, most organisations continue to have three levels of hierarchy. At the top there are the people who shape and give direction to the entire organisation. At the bottom are the workers, who manufacture the business’s products or render its services. Between them are those in the middle, often torn between meeting the demands of those at the top and responding to the needs and concerns of the workers they are expected to manage. The middle can be a confusing and ambiguous place, yet it is potentially a point of powerful influence, both upwards and downwards.
Oshry refers to the three groups as ‘Tops’, ‘Middles’ and ‘Workers’.
The Middle Dilemma
Unfortunately not many Middles perceive their potential power. Oshry identifies the following characteristics of ‘the Middle dilemma’:
- Middles tend to work long and hard, often in response to the demands of others. ‘Middles tend to be in perpetual motion, carrying with them never-ending lists of meetings to attend, items to accomplish, errands to run, unfinished paperwork to edit, business transacted on the run, constant intrusions and so on’.
- Middles often feel they receive little support or gratitude, up or down.
- Middles are often confused by their role, as they try to respond to both upwards and downwards demands. As a result they often assume compromise positions which end up pleasing no one, not even themselves.
- Often it seems that the significant action lies with the Tops, who make the strategic decisions, or the Workers, on the front line delivering products and services. The roles of Middles can feel comparatively unrewarding.
- ‘Very often Middles are isolated and lonely, accepted by neither Tops or Workers, separated from their peers by focus and work unit. They often silently harbour interpersonal tension and competitive anxieties with respect to their peers.’
- Middles often feel their role is primarily reactive, responding to the actions of Tops and Workers. Their scope for individual thought and action can feel very limited.
- Middles tend to personalise their experiences. When a situation goes badly, they tend to blame themselves.
Middles as Diffusers and Integrators
Oshry identifies the ‘essential functions of Middleness’ as ‘diffusing’ and ‘integrating’. Both are critical for the organisation.
Diffusion refers to the inward and outward flows of information that enable effective decisions and actions to be taken. Oshry writes
‘Middles distribute out to the system the “essence” of the units they service or manage, and bring back into the units the “essence” of the organisation.’
Middles interact frequently with Tops, other Middles, Workers – often also clients and suppliers. They are therefore uniquely well placed to influence all these other groups. The contacts and information available to Middles can enable them to see the total system more clearly than either Tops or Workers.
The risk that Middles face is that all this interaction means they end up seeing so many conflicting possibilities that they feel overwhelmed by them. For diffusion to work well, it needs to be partnered with integration. This involves Middles integrating with each other, to share ideas and experiences and identify how these can be utilised for the benefit of the whole organisation.
There are some risks attached to this. Middles are hired and fired as individuals, and may therefore find it difficult to trust peers who may personally gain from undermining them. Tops may be resistant to Middles working together as a group, fearing their collective power to influence. However, if the potential for Middles to contribute effectively to the system as a whole is to be maximised, then these fear factors must be overcome.
Mastering the Middle Space
‘In a nutshell, the process of mastering the middle space is the process of mastering the system.’
Mastering the system involves seeing the wider picture, identifying systemic problems and systemic solutions. This involves moving away from the ‘blame culture’ where Tops blame problems on individual Middles, and Middles personalise their experiences and blame themselves. The benefits of seeing issues systemically rather than personally are:
- Freeing up Middles to focus on goals
- Increasing empathy – both to and from Middles
- Middles are able to be more strategic when they take others’ worlds into account
- Partnerships develop, enhancing effectiveness and reducing personal stress
Some Top Tips for Middles
- Resist the urge to make other people’s problems, issues and conflicts your own. Your job is to coach and empower them to resolve their issues, not take responsibility for them
- Keep your own mind. Pay attention to your point of view, your values, your solutions. This will maximise your personal contribution to collective problem solving.
- Be a Top whenever you can. If you can resolve a problem without passing it up to the Top, then do it. Tops only need to be involved with problems that are unsolvable at the Middle level.
- Be a Worker when you should. If your team is short-staffed or has a sudden influx of work, then help them out with it. But remember, this should only be a short term solution. If it becomes long term then you need to re-focus on the systemic problems which are causing it.
- Facilitate solutions by bringing together the people who need to be together, and helping them to have productive interactions. This is more effective than trying to act as a buffer between them.
- Integrate with other Middles. Strong, interactive relationships with your peers will enable you to make a strong collective contribution and reduce your feelings of isolation.
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