Stuck in the Middle?
What do you do when you can’t do what you should do? All leaders have the responsibility to address a variety of organizational problems. They may face the exodus of their quality staff. They may struggle with a lazy worker who is undermining team morale. They may need to meet a tight budget or accelerated schedule. But not all leaders have the authority to solve the problems they face. Some leaders may be powerless to change an overly stratified organizational chart. Or unable to extend unrealistic deadlines imposed by clients. Or locked into a contract negotiated by others. They are, in fact, stuck in the middle.
In one organization, a middle manager knew he had found something special in Greg, a young new hire. He was trained in cutting edge technology, creatively inclined, hard working, politically savvy. But the CEO didn’t trust young people. Even though the CEO would be retiring in the next five years, how could they attract and retain workers like Greg in the mean time?
When you are stuck in the middle, how do you make the best of a bad situation? Try pouring on some respect.
Greg’s manager gave him complete control over projects too small to attract the CEOs attention. The company encouraged him to experiment wildly with the limited resources they gave him. And Greg loved the game.
Listen to the people on your team. Prove that their voices matter. They’re going to work with the people you hire for a long time, so try giving your team a voice in hiring new people.
Greg’s manager learned what excited the young man. They talked candidly about Greg’s career goals and small steps Greg could take with the current company that would benefit his career in the long run, whether or not with this firm. Even though Greg could have changed companies to get the pay he felt he deserved, he chose to stay because of this commitment to his goals.
Appreciate the people on your team. Help them reach their career goals. Believe in them. Coach them. If you can’t offer a raise to every exceptional worker, maybe you can reward some of them with more flexible work hours.
This was an important benefit for Greg who had two young children. Twice a week, he picked his daughter up at school, and finished his work later that night. Of course, Greg was accountable for maintaining the same production level, and he did. He had a strong motivation to do so.
Be flexible. Be creative. Few HR policy manuals are so thorough as to extinguish any possibility of creative initiative on your part. Look for out-of-the-box ways to shower people with respect.
Greg’s manager was stuck in the middle. He couldn’t do what he should do—increase Greg’s pay aggressively and promote him to positions of interest to Greg. So he risked showing some real respect. And his creativity usually paid off. Literally. In the long run, his company’s bottom line saw real benefit. Even when stuck in the middle, we can find the investments that will pay off.
