Middle Management - Model The Way For Elsie
Normally, the first article of the year should be something uplifting, positive, and charming.
Well, too bad. Nothing about my practice is “normal”. It's “abnormal” to the max. No AI-generated panaceas here. Every. Single. Client. is unique.
So why start with normal? And why “ease into the year”?!
I'm going to go for the jugular, the center of the famous sandwich, the middle layer of mediocrity: management. That's right, I'm coming for ya.
In 2025, I dare ya.
I dare ya to stop shoving your mistakes down the necks of your team and those you manage. Recognize profoundly that their failures are YOUR failures. Don't try to placate disappointed customers or clients with the “reassurance” that you're going to have “strong words with your team”. That's “Herd Mentality”: pick off the sick, the weak, the expendable - and blame the most recent hire. Instead, you're supposed to be growing your organization's leaders of tomorrow.
I dare ya to stop self-inflating with “how busy you are” and what-all you're responsible for (and that's why you weren't able to properly supervise poor little Elsie at the front desk) (of course she's female - bottom of the hierarchy, remember?!). No one can do a great job of everything, everywhere, all at once (yes, that's a film reference).
That's why teaching time management skills is the second most asked-for /required leadership skill I coach for. (Points for anyone who asks what's number one.) Your To-Do list ain't cuttin’ it. I know you think it is, but go ask poor Elsie. I mean, actually have a conversation. This one's a classic, and it's otherwise known as “Pass The Buck”. Instead, lead by example.
I dare ya to lower the big shield between you and leadership. Cut the “What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them” crap. One of the main reasons that “culture’s broke” is this absolute disconnect between leadership and management. That means putting yourself in a place of vulnerability, but it also means conscious cultivation of the strength, skills, qualifications, experience, and humility to lead, learn, and grow.
So if “poor Elsie” is going to have a fighting chance, she needs a clear list of expectations. It might be an end-of-day checklist, it might mean a once-a-week summary of activities, it might mean some metrics on things like call volume, customer satisfaction, or any number of other deliverables. But that means you need to be clear on what success looks like, and you need to understand her workflow. And then optimize it. And build enough trust that she can admit to errors, ask questions, and expect your support and encouragement.
What about your “disaster preparedness”, to borrow a term from the world of databases? Is there a protocol to follow to prevent, protect, and practice for worse-case scenarios? If your business is all about booking clients and an appointment has gone awry, what is Elsie to say and do in such a scenario? When do you step in? How do you take forward lessons learned? What are the systemic effects of such an incident and its remediation?
And what? You think the responsibility is all on you to fix it? That would be “Martyr Syndrome”: “Oh I just don't have the support I need…” “I don't have enough training / resources.” “I'm unappreciated and underutilized” (or stretched too thin - pick one - see above).
You could also call it “Middle Child Syndrome”.
Instead, middle management should be the engine of the operation. You're close enough to the work that you can influence both performance AND strategic direction in meaningful ways.
How about the “Peter Principle”? That's the one where technically brilliant people are advanced up the ladder and are expected to morph into people people at the wave of the promotional wand. This is like treading water. You can be just a length away from the side of the pool and still drown. You're like a pinball being shunted around the course with alarm bells and erratic behaviour all around you. Here's where so many middle managers just try - at all costs - to avoid conflict and minimize disruption to the status quo.
But middle management is what some have called the leadership “petri dish”: either you fester and just add to the bacterial grossness, or you develop into a beautiful culture that fosters growth throughout the organization. You make it to senior leadership. You’ve understood the assignment, long before you were awarded it.
Instead of supervising, directing, admonishing, monitoring, or just letting the cats run wild in the barn, you've been focused on the raw material you've been provided with: the creativity, talent, motivation, and potential of others. There's an outward, collaborative focus rather than the self-protective victim mentality we've been talking about.
Influencing, collaborating, and asking damn good questions is what you're great at.
So I'm not proposing the death of middle managers. I'm issuing a challenge: Create the most value you possibly can from all the resources you've been given. In my coaching sessions, I call this “punching up” which is probably not politically correct, but does communicate the intent and vigor required.
In other words: Look, walk, talk, act and sound like the people two steps up from your current role. Try and view things from their perspective and anticipate problems before they happen. Implement solutions and pre-emptive measures that align with business objectives - and understand what makes your people tick.
So model the way for Elsie. She's not poor, and she's not little. She's an essential part of your success story.
About the Author
Anna is an organizational psychologist and executive coach, with a special interest in all things technology. We’re part of the team at Garleff Coaching and Consulting Group. If this article has struck a chord, please let us know.
Anna Garleff Cell: +1 587 224 3793 / anna@garleffcoaching.com
www.garleffcoaching.com
