Wednesday 12 September 2012

How important is the role of Middle managers in shaping up organization’s future


I was taught since childhood that the GODS were thought to have complete vision into the future. They saw everything to come, right down to the intricate details. Human beings on the other hand were seen as victims of fate, trapped in the moment and their emotions, unable to see beyond immediate dangers. Those heroes such as Odysseus  who were able to look beyond the present  and plan several steps ahead seems to defy fate, to approximate GODS in their ability to determine the future. The comparison is still valid.  Those among us who think farther ahead and patiently bring their plans to fruition seems to have GODLIKE power. Because most people are too imprisoned in the moment to plan with this kind of foresight, the ability to ignore immediate dangers and pleasures translates into power. It is power of being able to able to overcome the natural human tendency to react to things as they happen and instead to train oneself to step back, imagining the larger things taking shape beyond ones immediate vision.  The most ordinary cause of peoples mistake is their being too much frightened at the present danger, and not enough thought process which would have avoided this danger. The dangers that are remote, that looms in the distance – if we can see them as they take shape, how many mistakes we avoid. How many plans we would instantly abort if we realized we were avoiding small dangers only to step into larger one. So much of power is not what you do but what you do not do- the rash and foolish action that you refrain from before they get you into trouble. Will this have unintended consequences ? Will I stir up new enemies ? Will someone take advantage of my labors ? unhappy endings are much more common than happy endings – Do not be swayed by the happy endings in your mind. When you see several steps ahead and plan your moves all the way to the end you no longer will be tempted by emotion or by desire to improvise. Your clarity will rid you of the anxiety and vagueness that are the primary reasons  why so many fail to conclude their actions successfully. You see the ending and you tolerate no deviation.  So what we conclude….. We conclude that “ The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give glory to hard work to someone else. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by the circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead…….
The reason I have given the small description of thinking ahead as it is one of the most important characteristics of successful leader. Successful leaders not only think ahead but all their strategies are laid on planning and accordingly they give direction to the organization.  A top down approach to managing strategy and strategic changes sees middle managers as implementers of strategy. Their role is to put into effect  the directions established by top management by making sure that resources are allocated and controlled appropriately, monitoring performance and behavior of staff and if necessary explaining strategy to those reporting to them. Those who take such approach often tend to view middle managers not so much as the facilitators of the strategy but as blockages to its success. Indeed, this is sometimes seen as one reason for reducing the numbers and layers of management, so as to speed up communication between top management and organizational members and to reduce potential blockages and filters. In context of managing strategic change it is important to emphasize five important roles they play ;-
1.       The first is the systematic role of implementation and control.
2.       The second is the “translators” of strategy when it is established by senior management. Top management may set down a strategic direction but how it is made sense of in specific contexts may intentionally or not be left to middle managers. If misinterpretation of that intended strategy is to be avoided, it is therefore vital that middle managers understand and feel an ownership to it.
3.       Similarly, middle managers are likely to be involved in the reinterpretation and adjustment of strategic responses as events unfold.
4.       They are therefore crucial bridge between top management and member of the organization at lower levels.
5.       They are also in the position to be advisors to more senior management on what are likely to be the organizational blockages and requirements for change.
Middle managers may therefore contribute substantially either to galvanizing commitment to strategy and the change process or to blocking it. Such involvement could help to achieve positive role of commitment. The involvement of middle management in strategy development, the planning of and implementation of strategic change programmes and feedback on strategic change can therefore be very important. Also one of the most important aspects in all this is this hiring of middle managers. Since they are the backbone of the company it is very crucial and critical to hire the best of brains because if you hire best of brains you are definitely progressing towards right path and rest other things will automatically fall in place. Hence we can conclude that role of middle managers is very vital in the growth of an organization
Ciao !!

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