Why You Should Fill Your Company With Middle Mangers
by Miki SaxonI love it. In November BNet posted 10 Reasons why middle managers are more valuable than CEOs—but you knew that.
So, what makes middle managers more valuable? Here’s a synopsis, click the link for the full version.
- You know how stuff really gets done.
- You know what motivates individuals.
- You know the customer well enough to get to the truth.
- You know the vendors as well as the competitive landscape.
- You don’t have to defend the original strategy.
- You have the skills to get people of diverse backgrounds and in cross functional groups to work together.
- You know exactly what point your company is in the movie.
- You know the believers.
- You can motivate with humor.
- You have the power to heal.
Obviously, there are a lot of middle managers who don’t fit this profile, and plenty of senior managers who do.
The smartest companies encourage everybody to be a middle manager, relatively speaking, while in startups and smaller companies it’s a necessity—from the CEO through the developers to the receptionist.
Having everybody acting like middle managers may be powerful, but it’s only half of what can be accomplished.
The action that really juices the results comes when everybody is listened to as if they are the CEO.
Image credit: sxc.hu
