Matching Capabilities with Business Opportunities. Championing is generally recognized as a middle management activity, but its potential contribution is not always appreciated. One top manager described middle management championing as an "earned right,” reserved only for a few in recognition of many years of “credible service.” Similarly, many middle managers in our interviews observed that championing meant "spending currency" with top managers. It was pursued sparingly, as "an exception." Just as telling, some middle managers felt their real influence was minimal, but championing was an important means to show support for the ideas of subordinates.

Articulating Emergent Strategic Issues. The role of middle managers as channels of communication and sources of information is well recognized. On the other hand, they are often criticized for “putting their own spin on it” because making sense of organizational reality and putting events into a strategic context is seen as a top-down process. Senior managers may use elaborate systems such as formal planning to objectify and rationalize middle management input. Ironically, formal, bureaucratic processes make the on-going re-interpretation of events less likely and introduce undesirable rigidity into the decision making process. In short, subjective interpretation is inevitable, and it should not be considered pernicious. In many cases, middle managers are positioned better than anyone else to frame strategic issues. [xiv]