Middle Management

Early in my career I recall making the occasional comment to colleagues that began with "If I was the Director, I'd do..." acting as if I had solutions to the problems of the day that others were not privy too. Eventually I matured and began to realize that situations are typically much more complex then they may seem on the surface.

Last year I was fortunate enough to actually be given a chance to take on a Director's role so I could see how my early career thinking compared to the real thing. After a year, some ideas have become reality, some have failed and others have yet to see the light of day. Being at a Director level is an interesting place to be as I am literally in the middle of the management structure - I am two levels below the President and two levels above the students. One way I have come to think of my role is that I provide clarity for my staff and advice to my superiors. Clarity allows my staff to know what is expected of them so they can feel comfortable performing their work, while advice for my superiors provides them with information and knowledge they need to make informed decisions.

After a few stumbles, a little debate and some luck I am beginning to see what strategies will help me carry out my responsibilities. My plan for this blog post is to share a few strategies I have adopted so readers can comment and, ideally, have readers share strategies that work for them or that they have seen work for others.

1. Develop a Meeting Plan - I believe the highest value my team can gain from meeting together is to discuss and debate issues so different perspectives can be understood. I do not believe much time should be spent sharing simple information as that can be accomplished just as effectively in other ways. My staff and I have read Death by Meeting and used it to open a dialogue on what we expect from our meetings together.
   
2. Meet with all staff - In my current role I am responsible for more than 20 full-time staff. I have come to accept that it is not reasonable to know what everyone is doing all the time, but I believe I need to make time to get to know my staff and give everyone a chance to interact with me. I believe it is easier for people to follow the leader if they know the leader and that happens best through dialogue. When I meet with staff individually that do not report directly to me I make a point of saying "I am meeting with you so you can ask me what you want to ask me and/or tell me what you want to tell me."
   
3. Macro-manage, not micro-manage - Giving instructions versus giving direction are two approaches that seem to be at opposite ends of the management spectrum and each has pros and cons. Ultimately, as a Director I try to give direction by conveying the outcomes I expect and allow my staff to choose the methods. One of my favourite books is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the concept of stewardship delegation has stuck in my mind and seems to have influenced my approach here.
   
4. Anticipate the needs of the executive - I believe that providing good advice to my superiors requires me to anticipate their needs as best as I can. To help me anticipate I pay special attention to what executive members say in public or share in writing and in the media. In addition, I try to ask questions of the executive when given the opportunity or ask those that work closest to them as they are more likely to be available. Lastly, I have come to accept that I must be open to adjusting my position because the executive may change their approach, often without disclosing the reasons for the change.