Mid-career, middle manager, middle seat on an airplane. Have you ever banged your carry-on through first class with the thought that “it must be nice.” Planes may serve as a fairly good metaphor for our careers as we try to expand our influence and move our way up. The much maligned middle seems to be a place where careers/plane rides go to stagnate. If I could only run the (insert your nomenclature here) agency/department/organization, I would get this thing back on track. In my work, I hear comments like this all the time. Or comments that are essentially saying the same thing leading to the conclusion that “I’m not trusted to do the big job.”
For those of you in that middle zone or those non-profit leaders that need to balance staff and board simultaneously, let me say that the middle is far easier. The corner office is tough. Expectations are high, relationships can become more complex and many times we are not given any additional guidance to make good on our opportunity. While we see the comfortable seat in first class, what we don’t see is the next day that same person is on a different plane to a different city to get that Gold Status. These aren’t reasons to dial back on your drive for more responsibility, however, it is pretty good justification to take advantage of that middle seat.
Some distilled wisdom I have collected from leaders, books and my own experiences when managing up include:
• #1: Know your calls
• #2: Learn from your team and be clear on what you stand for: values.
• #3: There is no substitute for face-to-face discussion and debate.
• #4: Serve each boss/board member as if they are your only boss.
• #5: Don’t over commit or over promise.
• #6: Fill the gap, if your boss/board member is not a detailed person, work to fill that gap. Help them round out their effectiveness.
When managing sideways or down, consider these nuggets:
• #1: Create shared meaning. Give people time to contribute. Use projectors, white boards, flip chart paper.
• #2: Be willing to do their job.
• #3: Take time to connect.
• #4: Use humor to divert and diffuse threats.
• #5: Summit Meetings. If you are balancing efficiency over effectiveness, you may steamroll over great ideas and shared meaning. It takes time to get on the same page, do your best to allow that to emerge.
There is plenty to learn at each stage of our career. While you may feel stuck in the middle waiting for something to loosen up, know that your ability to influence in the middle takes more skill and elbow grease. Enjoy the challenge and remember the skills as you move out of the middle seat.
