Why Middle Managers Need to be in the Middle of Your Communication Plan
Did you know that a lack of support from middle management is often why change is unsuccessful in an organization? Yep, you read that right. A company can spend millions of dollars to make a change in the organization (e.g., technology, people, or process change), and without middle management’s help, it’s likely that the change won’t stick.
Why are middle managers so important to the change process?
First, who are “middle managers?” Middle managers are the group of leaders between the executive team and frontline employees. The executive team typically drives and sponsors large change initiatives, while frontline employees make that change happen. This core group of leaders in the middle guide the majority of employees in an organization on a day-to-day basis. It’s critical for Communication Practitioners to consider the role of middle managers in the change engagement process, as employees look to middle managers for guidance, reassurance, and to have their questions answered. The communication challenge is that while middle managers are typically very skilled in their area of functional expertise, they are often not skilled communicators. Communication skills are critical to help move people through a change process that can inspire emotions ranging from uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and excitement. As Communication Consultants, we must help managers understand their role in the change communications process and equip them to be successful.
How to help middle managers understand their role in change
Helping middle managers understand their role in the communications process is really about revisiting their responsibility as leaders. Leaders play a major role in helping to move employees along the change journey. Effective communication is a key aspect of effective leadership on a day-to-day basis, but even more so during times of change. As Communication Practitioners, we need to make that connection and help middle managers realize the power that they carry as leaders in the change process. Ultimately, effective communication is a core skill set leaders need to manage effectively in new and changing workplace environments now and in the future.
How can middle managers be equipped to communicate the change?
There’s no question about it, middle managers are among the busiest in the company and they also have the most influence on the impacted frontline employees. So how can they be equipped to lead the change when they’re short on time and communication isn’t their forte? As Communication Consultants, we need to readily equip these ultra-busy leaders with what they need to know with tools such as:
Persona-based FAQs
One-pagers
Tips and tricks
Key dates
Announcements
Leader toolkits
In the above communications, it’s important to anticipate what most frontline employees will ask so that managers have the correct answers at their fingertips. **Pro tip**: store the above communications on a company intranet site or repository that middle managers and frontline employees can easily access.
Also consider that if a change is going to happen over a long period of time, a cadence of meetings should be established to check in with middle managers to hear how the change is going as well as share pertinent updates. This is a great opportunity for you to revisit the communication plan and see if adjustments are needed.
What steps should you take if you get pushback from middle managers?
“I don’t have the time to communicate this change effort. I need to support the day-to-day activities for my employees.”
This is a classic line that every Communication Practitioner has heard from leaders at least a dozen times in their career. When this pushback is given, you can help leaders understand that their involvement in the change effort is needed now or later. If their involvement comes later, you will have misaligned, confused employees knocking on your door. Ideally, they can spend the time up front to guide and manage people through the change they’re about to experience. If middle managers continue to resist communicating the change effort, they may need to revisit and clarify with their leaders that the change effort is worthy of their time and involvement.
“I don’t need to communicate this effort. We have a communication department for that.”
While the company might have a communication department, communication is an essential part of a leader’s role no matter what department they sit in. The communication plan should reinforce that one of the roles of middle management is to lead their employees through the change and a key part of that is two-way communication with their team members. Excellent communication can help improve employee engagement, stabilize productivity, deepen trust, and decrease unwanted turnover. On the flip side, middle managers may be worried about the negative implications associated with large scale change such as a loss in productivity, unwanted turnover, or misalignment. These are all business problems that can be mitigated through strong, intentional communications. As Communication Consultants, we can help managers understand that there are real business ramifications of their role and of their participation in the communication process.
As Communication Practitioners, it’s important to remember that, these leaders, from whom we’re asking so much, are experiencing the change too. (Don’t Overlook Managers in the Middle). So, giving them the time and space to understand what's being asked of them, ask their own questions, be able to process the impacts for themselves, in addition to making requests for them – so that they are ready and able to guide their teams through change with effective communication.
Contact ChangeStaffing for guidance on helping middle managers support your organization’s upcoming change to help the change stick!
Written by Kylette Harrison
A very special thank you to DeNesha Tellis, Founder and Principal Consultant of The Tellis Group, for her thought leadership and for collaborating with us on this blog.