Lost Tribe?
Indian Management|November 2018

Mind the ‘middle’. The ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ will be directionless without it.

Walter Vieira
Lost Tribe?

Many times, when I look at middle management in the corporate world, I am inclined to describe it as the ‘lost tribe’ of biblical times. They are caught between running with the fox and hunting with the hound. It is a group which is caught between the small, select top management who exercise power, and the large workforce, which also exercises power with its numbers. Middle management has been loaded with a lot of responsibility, but with limited authority.

They are often expected to take the blame when something goes wrong, and sometimes also pay the price. However, they are seldom sought to take the credit when it is due. One is often reminded of the old, oft-repeated plaint:

‘We the willing,

Led by the unknowing,

Are doing the impossible,

For the ungrateful.’

Middle management is like middle class

Middle management in corporate entities suffers from the same problems as the middle class in societies. The top management is up there, often insulated from the rest. The lowest levels have the power of numbers, and their unions will not allow them to be taken for granted. Middle management is squeezed in between, with neither the authority of the top, nor the muscle power of the populous bottom.

Yet, middle management is really supposed to be the classroom, where training and sieving (for future positions in top management) takes place. But does this really happen? If one looks at the number of external candidates being imported to fill senior manager vacancies in the company— and the number of exceptional middle managers who move out seeking and acquiring senior positions in other companies—we know what the answer is.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2018 de Indian Management.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2018 de Indian Management.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE INDIAN MANAGEMENTVer todo
Trust is a must
Indian Management

Trust is a must

Trust a belief in the abilities, integrity, values, and character of any organisation is one of the most important management principles.

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2023
Listen To Your Customers
Indian Management

Listen To Your Customers

A good customer experience management strategy will not just help retain existing customers but also attract new ones.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2021
The hand that feeds
Indian Management

The hand that feeds

Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2021
Survival secrets
Indian Management

Survival secrets

Thrive at the workplace with these simple adaptations.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 2021
Plan backwards
Indian Management

Plan backwards

Pioneer in the venture capital and private equity fields and co-founder of four transformational private equity firms, Bryan C Cressey opines that we have been taught backwards in many important ways, people can work an entire career without seeing these roadblocks to their achievements, and if you recognise and bust these five myths, you will become far more successful.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2021
For a sweet deal
Indian Management

For a sweet deal

Negotiation is a discovery process for both sides; better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 2021
Humanise. Optimise. Digitise
Indian Management

Humanise. Optimise. Digitise

Engaging employees in critical to the survival of an organisation, since the future of business is (still) people.

time-read
5 minutos  |
August 2021
Beyond the call of duty
Indian Management

Beyond the call of duty

A servant leadership model can serve the purpose best when dealing with a distributed workforce.

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2021
Workplace courage
Indian Management

Workplace courage

Leaders need to build courage in order to enhance their self-reliance and contribution to the team.

time-read
5 minutos  |
August 2021
Focused on reality
Indian Management

Focused on reality

Are you a sales manager or a true sales leader? The difference, David Mattson, CEO, Sandler® and author, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Key Principles For Sales Leaders, maintains, comes down to whether you can see beyond five classic myths that we often tell ourselves about selling.

time-read
5 minutos  |
August 2021