June 1996 € Volume 6 € Number 6

Four Keys To Middle Management Buy-in

By Michael E. Kane

Reengineering and middle management often mix like oil and water. In fact, in business analogies, they are probably the two terms least likely to be combined in a positive light. Viewed by some as "extra fat," middle management has been the target of work force reductions for more than two decades. Even when they have remained, as a group they are viewed negatively by the remainder of the organization, even though they carry one of the most demanding jobs in business.

Middle management typically walks a tightrope between the hard financial expectations of top management and the qualitative requirements of job security and quality of life from the work force. One of the reasons middle managers have been targeted for reduction in reengineering efforts is that, from the top management perspective, they have had great difficulty carrying out their responsibilities and achieving results. This does not have to be the case. Middle management can be a valuable asset in a company's attempt to reengineer operations. Here are four steps to maximize the value of their contribution.

Promote management skills training
The first step in creating value in the middle management ranks is to provide management skills training. This cannot be strictly listening to lectures equivalent to the "Management 101" curriculum at most universities. Management skills training should be a real-world program that incorporates the pressures incurred in the day-to-day activities of the company. Included in the training should be frequent interactive sessions with top management. The sessions should include role clarification with in-depth discussions of the expectations for job-specific managerial performance. Classroom training alone does little to improve management performance. Linking classroom training to management work will undoubtedly improve business performance. Management skills training should help managers manage more effectively. This is an important step, even for those companies not involved in a reengineering effort.

Define the scope of the process
Reengineering a business or process requires individuals that understand the specific activities that will be evaluated and changed. Making middle managers part of the process will assist the effort in two ways. First, it will bring credibility to the individual manager for being chosen as a leader capable of handling such an important effort. This can have an immense motivational impact on a manager. Second, and more important, the people that know a great deal about the process will be actively looking for ways to improve the operation. That will no doubt assist in securing the buy-in needed for a successful installation.

Highlight successes and build motivation
Make the entire organization aware of all successes. Emphasizing the positive process-oriented results will generate a ripple-effect for future improvement. Making a point of rewarding an individual manager can also provide the incentive for others to join in the improvement efforts. For middle management this is essential. Rewarding managers in front of their employees builds credibility for the entire management team. This reward process appears to be very qualitative, especially for distressed companies involved in a reengineering effort. However, top management needs to take the time and effort to carry out the motivation and development process. The "soft" follow-up and effort by a senior manager can be the determining factor in the success of a redesign operation.

Follow-through on commitments
Once the scope and goals of the process have been clearly defined, top management needs to "walk the talk." Empower middle managers and give them the opportunity to analyze the process and formulate data. Give them the opportunity to design the new business process. This does not mean that the integrity and results of the process need to be compromised.

Regular updates to top management are necessary regardless of the endeavor. Quantifiable progress updates are a characteristic of sound business practice. However, keeping the leash too tight on middle managers is sure to cause frustration and jeopardize the results of the process. Let middle managers do the job they are paid to do. If the job is not progressing as planned, then action is necessary.

The four keys to middle management buy-in in a reengineering effort seem very basic in premise. Most businesses that are reengineering their operations feel they are "too busy" to accomplish such "soft" tasks, or they are leaping at the projected results without accomplishing the day-to-day work that ensures success. This is primarily why many reengineering efforts fail. Companies elect not to develop their people in areas critical to their operations. Just as it is necessary for the middle management layer to develop its people for the organization to be completely successful, senior management must develop their people as well. Senior management needs to allow middle management to succeed, rather than preventing them to fail.

Michael E. Kane is a member of Spectrum Management Consulting, Wallingford, Conn. He holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in industrial technology from Central Connecticut State University.

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