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Middle Management

Middle Management is the level of management in between the lower and top management. Their main responsibility is to oversee and monitor the activities of subordinate managers and at the same time report to top management. There are companies that believe middle managers should no longer exist as it just causes confusion in terms of duties and responsibilities. However, middle managers are still very important as long as the company uses them well.

Middle-Level Management

Middle Management includes middle managers that fall subordinate to top managers. Most of their job titles are General Manager, Regional Manager, Plant Manager or Divisional Manager. Middle managers follow and take orders from top management. They help carry out the responsibility of achieving the goals of top management. Since they are positioned in the middle, they set the goals for varying departments and business units under them.

Middle managers have a great position in the company but it can get quite confusing, if not clearly aligned with those concerned. They are there to assist first-level managers to achieve goals and objectives but they can also give suggestions and feedback to top managers. Indeed, they serve as a connection or link between top management and first-level management.

Middle managers are more involved with the daily operations of a company compared to top managers. They can monitor the daily activities of all departments and business units and they relay important information to top management. If top managers handle the decision-making and strategy formulation, middle managers are more into implementing strategies, plans and decisions set out by the company.

The pay for middle managers highly differs because of the varying roles, duties and responsibilities they are given. It will also depend on the size of the company and how many business units they are handling. There are middle managers that only supervise a small group while others supervise groups for the whole business location. Some middle managers are groomed to be part of top management someday.

The 4 Important Aspects of Middle-Level Management

It can be said that middle management has the most duties and responsibilities in the company because they report to top management and supervise their subordinates. Here are the four important aspects of middle-level management: focus, build, support and align.

The aspect of focus is one of the most important roles that a middle manager assumes. As mentioned, the job can be quite focusing, which entails the need for focus. Middle managers should focus on the necessary things they should do and this includes helping their subordinates focus on their work. Since they help top management in reaching objectives, their role in concentrating the efforts of the organization to achieve company goals is crucial.

The aspect of ‘build’ in middle-level management is to train new managers and help them be part of the culture of the company. New managers need to understand the direction of the company so they can work towards it. Middle managers should be motivating and help new managers improve their talents and broaden their capabilities.

The third aspect is support and is probably the most important one for middle-level management positions. Middle managers help in providing a good working environment for entry-level employees. Since top management worries about the goals and strategies, middle managers are expected to supervise all of the company’s daily operations. They should be supportive to employees to make them more productive and break down any barriers to the company’s success.

And lastly, middle managers align. They align the direction top management wants to take to the efforts of first-class management. This way, the whole organization is united in working towards a common direction and goal.

Importance of Middle-Level Management

Middle management gives a lot of importance to management quality. Instead of focusing on their performance, they focus on improving the performance of their subordinates. This is how the success of a middle manager is measured. He should focus on the competence, skills and talents of the people under him rather than achieving personal results. For first-level managers, they are role models who lead the way and explain the most important management policies of the company. For top management, they are the go-to people to implement what is needed. Middle managers are key people when it comes to communication. They relay information from top to lower management and align the goals for the whole organization.

Responsibilities of Middle-level Management

Middle managers hold an important position in the company and they help the company’s performance greatly. Here is a list of some of their main responsibilities:

  • Middle management helps identify good candidates for managerial positions.

  • They also assist in appointing new managers and introducing them to the company.

  • The decision to terminate the services of an employee due to poor performance is part of their responsibility. Since they supervise and monitor staff performances, they should know best.

  • Middle managers are expected to motivate new managers as well as continually motivate all groups working under him.

  • Middle managers take part in management development, which includes coaching new managers.

Main Duties of Middle-Level Management

  • Middle managers need to exercise problem-solving skills when working with two groups that are not getting along together.

  • Middle managers help set the goals for each department and how they should work towards one goal and vision.

  • Middle managers delegate responsibilities to first-level managers.

  • Middle managers should motivate all employees.

  • They should motivate employees to perform at their best and be loyal to the company.

  • A middle manager should keep communication line opens so he can be easily reached whenever there is a problem. Any concern should be addressed to maintain the productivity of employees.

  • They should be available for any questions and comments from employees.

  • Middle managers can hire competent candidates and do the screening and interviewing themselves.

  • They should come up with motivational meetings, giving incentives and recognition to reward the efforts of employees.

  • Middle managers should effectively communicate to lower-level managers and give them the necessary knowledge while communicating with top management about success, failures and feedback.