IAM Group Ltd: The Weight of Being in the Middle

Almost all of us start from the beginning, from the lowliest of the low and even underneath the hierarchy, and then we slowly climb to reach the top. One of our volunteers in IAM Group Ltd. is from Yokohama, Japan which has a wide variety of businesses and entrepreneurs. He shares a story of his climb to the mid management while he also explains what his current position really mean.

 

What is middle management?

 

Middle Management, top-level management’s link to its lower subordinates, plays a crucial part in the organization. This level is composed of managers who are responsible for implementing company strategy in the most efficient way and creating the most effective working environment. They may adjust and interpret the initial plan in order to reach target goals. In changes such as downsizing, outsourcing, and delayering, or in order to flatten the organization and empower employees to be innovative, and reduce costs, middle management may be reduced.

 

How does it function?

 

Our friend tells us that he always has the opportunity to report valuable information and suggestions from inside the organization. They channel communication within the company, as they pass major decisions of executives and main goals to lower levels of employees. This contributes to better coordination between workers and makes the company more united.

 

In the technical aspect, middle management is in charge of facilitating any changes needed in an organization and creates an effective working environment and ways of doing things better. He administers day-to-day routine and monitors performance, and makes sure everything is done in compliance with the organization’s needs.

 

Competencies in Middle Management

 

Being part of middle management allows one to make two critical investments. Here in IAM Group Limited, we face the same critical issues and different approaches to them. The first is signature – how one acquires and builds knowledge and rare and valuable competencies. Each has its own style and may be effective for some but not for others. The concept of management is subject to one’s interpretation. How it is carried out and handled is how leadership and management is understood.

 

The second is in developing new areas of proficiency, or moving into adjacencies, throughout working life.

 

The following competencies are critical in order to become an effective middle manager:

 

  1. Leadership – the most important competency that requires many skills. A middle manager must know how to make sense with things and is persuasive. He must be able to motivate, influence and guide his members, and become a role model for them and demonstrate the quality and the level of work contribution necessary for a certain organization. He must have a desire for continuous self-development and learning.

 

  1. Decision-making – ability to quickly solve conflicts, make decisions under pressure and takes responsibility for the outcome.

 

  1. Creativity and visioning – He should have a clear vision of the possible challenges the team may face and strategize through it with the ability to overcome roadblocks, see the opportunities that lie ahead.

 

  1. Performance Management – this includes managing his own and his subordinates’ performances by setting clear and measurable objectives and providing coaching. A middle manager must also be skilled in presenting, persuading, and influencing people.

 

Challenges in Middle Management

 

Based on a survey conducted by Harvard Business Review back in November 2014, employees belonging to this level may encounter the following challenges:

 

  1. Diversity is unrecognized
  2. Organization is perceived ineffective and inefficient
  3. Overwork
  4. Unaddressed issues
  5. No value or appreciation
  6. Unfair treatment
  7. Lack of meaning and purpose
  8. No career/promotion opportunities
  9. Poor leadership

 

Source: http://www.iamgroup-limited.com