Archives for February 2023

On more than one occasion over the past 6 months, mid-level managers have voiced their frustrations to me about various performance obstacles, but one conversation took me by surprise: Post-merger, a director-level manager was asked by his boss to create a structure for the functions and processes that report to him. He asked his leader, “What is our current strategy? Having a clear picture of that will help us develop the best structures to support it.” His leader could not answer that question. Common sense may dictate that the merger itself should have been part of a preexisting strategy that is satisfied by the merger. But the current reality is this: A year post- merger, there is no clear strategy that anyone knows of; and if there is one, it is not being clearly communicated. [Read more…]

How to Utilize Middle Managers in Planning Strategic Change

When it comes to planning and implementing strategic change initiatives, there may be fewer important roles than that of middle management. Whether you’re implementing an important operational change, a new structure, a significant process improvement, DEI, etc., middle managers will be charged with making it work by coaching employees, holding people accountable, providing input up the organization, pleading for resources, offering just-in-time training to employees and mid-course corrections. Because of this critical role, middle managers’ input and participation in planning the change are critical.  As we evaluate past major change initiatives that have not “stuck,” we need to ask the question: Could it be that we have undermined our own success by not adequately soliciting middle managers’ input when planning the change?

In my 20+ years of helping organizations plan and implement strategic initiatives, three key principles stand out pertaining to the role of middle managers in planning change. [Read more…]