The middle layer, which fuels an organization’s leadership pipeline, is torn between two extremes—overuse to risk redundancy. By connecting directly to the lower levels of leaders, can the dependence at the middle level be reduced? Experts are divided on the matter and believe that if middle managers give enough importance to their role, they will continue to be an important link in the organizational hierarchy.
Here’s why: Middle managers break down the leader’s larger-than-life vision into simple actionable actions that employees can perform to help the organization meet its goals. But since the beginning of the WFH/Work from Anywhere culture, this layer is facing a different kind of challenges. Since they have many people reporting to them, the skills of middle managers have not been put to such tests before.
Mohua Sengupta, managing director of Mashrek (Bangalore) and Mashrek Remote Working Campus (India, Egypt and Pakistan), says, “In the pre-pandemic office environment, huddling brought teams closer and made team management easier. Right now, with distributed workforce, all employee engagement and huddling has become virtual. It requires more attention, time and ability on the part of middle managers, engage and encourage their large teams of direct reports.
Sengupta describes the current position as one that provides “a great training bed” for middle managers. “While organizations will still need to support them with additional training to manage a distributed workforce in challenging times, I expect that, down the road, we will have a stronger group of senior managers who are much better prepared. To face the world, thanks to this pandemic,” says Sengupta.
Randstad conducted a workshop dedicated to the middle management layer on how to work around the challenges of a remote work system. Anjali Raghuvanshi, Chief Public Officer randstad india, says, although leaders are now directly engaging with people through digital town halls to broaden the vision, strategy and direction of the organization, the line manager plays a vital role in dealing with people directly and getting the job done.
However, the challenge is to ensure that the targets are met. Despite challenging conditions, goals are rarely revised downwards. This line is a link for managers, especially when organizations also state that ‘no meeting days’ are sacred. Middle managers are being trained to trust their team. “When leaders speak on these matters, middle managers get the confidence to perform the same way,” says Raghuvansh.
Anne Soumya, Director Human Resources, The Edeco India, says middle-managers should not feel threatened and taken away, but should learn to embrace the empowered workforce they can leverage to achieve never-before-seen results. “It cannot be denied that this type of role is challenging as it requires both an effective leader to direct reports and an active supporter to top management. As organizational hierarchies become more flexible. And going virtual, multi-faceted middle managers will increasingly become channels for building better relationships, engagement and collaboration,” says Soumya.
S Venkatesh, Group President – HR, RPG Group, says that organizations will reshape themselves in the hierarchy. “Even so-called ‘senior’ roles and leadership positions will be affected. The business model and the way we execute it for the benefit of customers and all other stakeholders will be re-imagined and therefore The roles that would be required would also have to be recast in a similar fashion,” he says.
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