Middle Management: Is it a Hug or a Squeeze?

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Middle Management Is it a Hug or a Squeeze?

• Shabiran Rahman
• Information Services and Resources Department
• University of Waterloo, Canada

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Presentation will Cover

• What is Middle Management?
• A Brief Review of how Change has affected Middle
  Managers and Management?
• Importance of the Role in Times of Change
• Lessons Learned ISR Management Team at U of
  Waterloo
• Communication, Communication, Communication
• Discussion Your Thoughts and Experiences

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(No Transcript)
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Leading From the Middle Conference Board of
Canada Organizational Group
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Middle Management in a Changing Environment

• Down-sizing (younger employees keep their jobs
  because they are considered the future)
• Flattening of the Organizational Structure
• Middle Manager not Part of Design but Expected to
  Implement and Manage
• No Succession Planning
• (No one wants the job)

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Role of Middle Managers

• Essential to Success of the Organization
• Vital Connection between Senior Management and
  Frontline Workers 
• Between Organizational Strategy and its
  Implementation

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• Provide Linkages Horizontally and Across
  Functions
• Twin Priorities Managing and Achieving Results
  and Managing and Developing People
• Traditional Role (planning, monitoring,
  controlling) changed to Strategy and Process

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Lessons Learned ISR Management Team at U of
Waterloo

• The Eternal Question What does a manager do
  anyway? How does he/she spend the time?
• No Remuneration
• No Site Manager Librarians Autonomous (sort of)

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• Accountability without Authority
• Supervisor of Peers
• Confidentiality Surrounding Budgets
• Staff bypassing Manager (behaviour learned over
  many years

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Bibliography

• Conference Board of Canada Organizational
  Performance Group (2002, October 25). Leading
  from the middle. Retrieved May 26, 2004, from
  Government of Canada, National Managers
  Community Web site http//www.managers-gestionna
  ires.gc.ca/reading_room/reports/leading_from_middl
  e/leading_from_the_middle_e.pdf
• Farquhar, C.R. (1998, April 15). Middle
  managers are back How companies have come to
  value their middle managers again. Retrieved May
  26, 2004, from Government of Canada, National
  Managers Community Web site thtp//www.managers
  -gestionnaires.gc.ca/career_development/middle_man
  agers_are_back/conf_e.shtml

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Bibliography

• Middle managers are pivotal to an
  organizations success. (2003). HR Focus, 80, 9.
  Retrieved May 21, 2004, from ABI/INFORM/Global.
• Skrabec, Q.R. (2003). In search of the lost
  grail of middle management The renaissance of
  middle managers. Lanham University Press of
  America, Inc.
• Williams, L.C. (1995). Human resources in a
  changing society Balancing compliance and
  development. Westport, CT Quorum Books.
  Retrieved May 26, 2004 from http//www.questia.com
  /PM.qst?aod28143361