Middle managers are left in the dark
They just want to feel more involved, says Roland Gribben
Middle managers emerge as a neglected, disillusioned and frustrated breed in research published today. A third say they are kept in the dark about company plans, almost two-thirds confess they are at a loss to understand their role and just over half see communicating with the teams they lead as a key part of their job.
The research, based on the views of almost 1,000 managers in companies with more than 1,000 employees, also highlights significant differences between the public and private sectors. Only 27 per cent of public-sector middle managers say they feel involved in developing business plans against 40 per cent of their private-sector counterparts.
In the public sector only 25 per cent say they get a pat on the back for the contribution they make, compared to 41 per cent in the private sector.
The latest insight into the way such managers feel about their role is accompanied by caustic comments from some respondents. One said:
"The people above generally do not have a clue about what is going on below them." Middle management's ranks have been shrinking in companies where policy involves shortening the chain of command or outsourcing, while their role has become more focused in businesses trying to devolve responsibility – but the common denominator in both situations is communications. Colette Hill, chief executive of consultants CHA, who commissioned the research, says:
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