Start with Middle Management in your Change Approach

Start with Middle Management in your Change Approach

Following up the discussion “Bottom-up Approach Towards Organizational Change” I think that even in a bottom-up or top-down approach, the key to achieving a successful change in a (large) organization, is the middle management. Without the commitment of those managers not much will happen.

Also according to Patrick McGurk (Sept 2011), "middle managers have traditionally been seen as the organisational ‘linking pins’ (Likert 1961), a view which is echoed in more recent research on managerial work by Mintzberg (2009: 138), who finds that middle management is the place in which the organisation best integrates its activities. Balogun (2003), identified middle managers as ‘change intermediaries’. In this study, middle managers played the dual role of interpreting and ‘making sense’ of organisational change, both for themselves and their teams, and balancing the pressures of managing continuity of service with the implementation of change".

Due to the above, I recommend to:
1. Introduce an idea/change at the middle management level in an early stage.
2. Educate and coach those managers on achieving group/organizational goals instead of personal/departmental goals.

Source: Patrick McGurk (Sept 2011) The Contingent Role of Management and Leadership Development for Middle Managers - Cases of Organisational Change from the Public Services

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		1 Hor Kam Peng Business Consultant, Malaysia
	Change Management Starts in the Middle Couldn't agree with you more, Marl! Top Management is expected to lead the change and best implement... Sign up

		2 Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
	Middle-out Change Management I agree entirely with your hypothesis and suggest it could be accurately named "Middle Spread Manage... Sign up

		2 Sonny Vicente Coach, Philippines
	Change-readiness, a Crucial Factor I agree that organizational change would have to be two pronged. Support from the top and buy-in fro... Sign up

		1 Kathy Hevey Management Consultant, United States
	Mid-Managers Make it Happen or Not I agree. Middle Managers can make or break a change initiative. They need to understand the reasons ... Sign up

		3 sekgalabye Student (MBA), South Africa
	Role of Middle Managers in Organizational Change A locomotive is never directed by the middle coaches. The middle coaches are controlled by the engin... Sign up

		2 Barney Wade Howard Manager, United States
	Interpreters in General Good article. I see middle managers sometimes as "interpreters" of the laws. In my organization, new... Sign up

		0 Gary Stead Director, United Kingdom
	The 'Squeezed Middle' OK - this title may best be recognized in UK! Acting as a global change agent (sounds great) I propo... Sign up

		2 Rebecca Roe United States
	Stuck in the Middle It all depends on what you are changing. Only those working in a culture can relate to taking a conc... Sign up

		0 Sithembiso Mkhwanazi Project Manager, South Africa
	Selecting the Right Change Management Approach I support Gary & Rebecca. Surely a change in any organisation starts with a concept, and is careful... Sign up

		2 Sudarshan Ramaiah, India
	Middle Management: One Key Role to Achieve Organizational Change As per my opinion, organizational change is very much needed to survive in today's competitive world... Sign up

		1 j.a. karman ICT Consultant, Netherlands
	Levels 2, 3, and 4 are Often More the Cause of Problems than Being the Solutions The assumption is the middle management is in a position to contribute to desired change in a bottom... Sign up

		0 Fillemon Nangolo Hambuda HR Consultant, Namibia
	Middle Managers as Catalyst Even though I wholeheartedly agree with your theory, I suggest that middle management can only do so... Sign up

		2 Rebecca Roe United States
	Tips for Success @J. A. Karman: I agree with you JA in that most middle managers are 1) not given full support by upp... Sign up

		0 Paul Steele Consultant, Australia
	Middle Managers - Change Agents There are many good points here made by many of the contributors. Middle managers are the linch pins... Sign up

		3 Dr zahra gheidar Consultant, Iran
	Each Organization Has a Wave Pattern!!! It is Unique!! Organizations, to achieve success, should consider all factors. They need all elements. In each orga... Sign up

		1 VMK3 Analyst, Zimbabwe
	Middle Management as Drivers of Change There is need for the executives to buy-in. This is the only way that their energy can be transferre... Sign up

		1 Andrew Blaine Business Consultant, South Africa
	Drivers of Transformation and its Implementation So much has been written about where transformation is best introduced into an organisation that I t... Sign up

		0 VMK3 Analyst, Zimbabwe
	Organisation Transformation Andrew, what you are saying is very correct. The process has to be initiated from somewhere, and it'... Sign up

		0 Paul Steele Consultant, Australia
	Bottom-up Approach to Organisational Change Agreed, middle managers are the linch pin in the organisation. Politics weigh a heavy influence at t... Sign up

		0 NAMUWENGE EDITH BECCA Uganda
	Why Involve Middle Managers in Change Effort You seek the buy-in and/or wins of the middle managers on your side first before you attempt to impl... Sign up