Leaders in the Middle

1 Day Course

Managers, Directors and Executives

The middle manager in today’s corporations provides a critical, difficult, yet often underappreciated role. They are not often responsible for setting vision and strategy, but they are responsible for executing the strategy. They don’t set overall budget, but they must work within budget constraints. Most importantly, they are the critical link between the executive decision making, and the employees that actually do the work. Middle Managers essentially act as translators and field commanders – translating the strategy and vision into actual work, helping employees see how they add value to the overall organization, and relaying information from the line employees back up the corporate chain of command.

This course explores the role of the middle manager. It provides diagnostic tools for translating and aligning the overall strategy to the work of their organization. It provides opportunity, via role-plays, for conversations up and across the organization to help ensure alignment. It uses case study to explore the difficult realities of the role and brainstorm solutions.

By understanding the key translation role that middle managers play, and building effective “translator” skills, middle managers will improve the strategic alignment of their company, thereby reducing inefficiency and improving bottom line results.