The Messy Middle

Middle Managers are caught in the messy middle, but there's hope.

It's no surprise that middle managers are having a tough time. We've seen Tik-Toks, posts, and articles all talking about the burnout of managers and what's contributing to it.

Lack of training

Lack of investment

Changing targets

Continual organizational change

Overwork

Attrition of peers and team members

etc...

This article from McKinsey dives deep (it's kinda long) and their findings are pretty solid. Managers who are supported show a better bottom line.

Huh. you don't say.

While McKinsey lays out 5 steps to strengthen middle managers, I'm a firm believer that developing a coaching culture makes a huge difference. I've seen it in multiple organizations. Many Fortune 10 companies not only invest in external coaches but also invest heavily to develop internal coaching at all levels.