Middle Management

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This course is designed to give you helpful tips as someone in middle management.

Objective: Successfully manage those under you using a few key skills.

When I think of middle management I'm reminded of a great commercial from several years ago that had children saying absurd things about adult life such as, "My goal is to slave away in middle management (it was something close to that)." It was hard not to laugh and the point was made creatively; no one wants to feel dead-ended in their career. For many, middle management can feel like a trap, but it doesn't have to be one.

Middle-management is a tough place to be simply because the people you are now in charge of were your peers just a short time ago. They were the people you drank with after work. Suddenly you are faced with the difficult task of being in charge of your friends. It is also hard because suddenly higher-ups are holding you responsible for these people and for communicating their directives to those you are managing.

The first step toward being a successful middle manager is to recognize that you are now a manager and because of this it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time. That won't lead to success and it will make you crazy.

The second step is understanding what your job means. As a manager you must communicate company policies and directives to those under your supervision and that they are implemented at that level.

The third step is proper communication. Just because you are a manager now doesn't mean you should get cocky. Having an attitude that you are better than the people under your management will just lead to them disliking you, not being as productive as they can be, and them (possibly) trying to make you look bad. Instead of an attitude, make people feel like important members of the team. Praise them for work well done and let them know they are essential. Being agreeable is also a very helpful practice, and avoid public disagreements at all costs. If you must disagree, do it privately. Lastly, truly listen to people and make sure they know you are listening to them and considering their point of view. This will help them feel valued and want to do their work better than ever.

If you practice these steps, you shouldn't feel trapped by a middle-management job and it may even ensure that you get promoted to a higher level management position in the future.