So let me first start off by talking to the product owners or middle management people out there watching. It is tough being you, and the stats show it. If you Google "middle management," most of the results are about how tough it is.
Here are the stats. Middle managers have higher rates of depression and anxiety than their superiors or their subordinates. And more than half say that they feel constantly worried. A survey of over 320,000 employees done by the Harvard Business Review shows that middle management is at the bottom 5% for job satisfaction. Ouch!
To paraphrase a common complaint I found, middle management is often responsible for upper management’s vision without getting to participate in its creation. I can’t really think of anything less motivating for someone who needs to have leadership abilities.
The top five complaints that I found after reading several studies are:
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Number one, inheriting product chaos and dysfunctional teams.
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Number two, no flexibility and little room for creativity. Often, this includes no clear path forward.
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Number three, and the one that I personally have to work on the most, stress of dealing with politics and infighting.
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Number four, middle managers rarely get credit for the work. This isn’t just about achievements. Upper management is only focused on what is next and often ignores the facts that they changed objectives or chose impossible deadlines. So it seems to be more of a complete credit issue.
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And number five, lastly, most feel like bookkeepers or enforcers, instead of having the freedom to be a true leader.
Did I get this right? Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments below what I forgot.
These complaints are the reasons I decided to work on InnerSource, because as a middle manager, I’ve walked more than a few miles in your shoes. So let’s talk a bit more about how InnerSource can help you with some of these issues.