Home
Company
Expertise
Engagements
Research
Partners
Contact Us
Resources
  
 
The Misunderstood Middle Manager

Typically, middle managers have been seen as part of an organization’s control system rather than as one of the firm’s strategic assets. In this view, middle management simply translates strategies defined at higher levels into actions at operating levels. This involves: (1) defining tactics and developing budgets for achieving a strategy, (2) monitoring the performance of individuals and sub-units, and (3) taking corrective action when behavior falls outside expectations. In addition, they are expected to coordinate activities below them and integrate activities across functions to support the strategic plan. This description, or major elements of it, has applied for decades to the organization members we call middle managers, including functional department heads, project or product managers, brand managers, regional managers, and the like. In the language of strategic management, their role has been defined as “implementation.”

next >>