How Generation Z and newer generations are transforming middle management roles in companies.
It is common to see Generation Z and younger generations shying away from leadership roles, not out of concern for the level of responsibility, but because of the rules they have to work under. Even more so due to the results those rules produce over time. But the generation's main issue stems from a concern over the market's lack of recognition for what makes a middle management.
A study conducted by the Social Opportunity Institute (IOS), involving nearly a thousand Brazilian workers aged 15 to 29, revealed that 64% of these professionals would indeed like to reach managerial positions, provided there is clarity about the type of leadership they want to be (and have).
Furthermore, over 70% of respondents stated they value the figure of the boss as a "friend who talks about topics not restricted to work," and more than half are inspired by leaders who offer feedback and autonomy. For 92%, having a leader with the ability to teach and maintain proximity is a decisive factor when choosing a job.
However, negative role models are not solely responsible for the aversion to the position. The biggest fear these professionals have is extreme fatigue and dissatisfaction, which translates to a loss of quality of life, excessive pressure, and an increase in working hours.
According to the book "Power to the Middle" by Bill Schaninger, Bryan Hancock, and Emily Field, middle management involves a constant alternation of roles, transitioning between subordination to higher-ups and leadership over subordinates. This puts them in the position of a "punching bag" from both sides, as they are responsible for giving orders based on decisions they did not make and taking the blame when things go wrong.
A Columbia University study of approximately 22,000 full-time workers indicates that middle managers and supervisors experience higher levels of anxiety and depression than executives and frontline workers.
The article "Why Is Being a Middle Manager So Exhausting?", published by Harvard Business Review, points out:
In many cases, the norms and expectations associated with being a leader (i.e., assertiveness) are incompatible with the norms and expectations of being a subordinate (i.e., obedience). This becomes problematic when someone is called upon to perform both roles at work, because human beings are notoriously inefficient when it comes to switching between roles.
According to Schaninger, Hancock, and Field, the chances of success for the department and the company increase significantly when management provides realism, resources, and support, and begins to trust employees to carry out tasks, while also reducing the likelihood of health issues.
This is because it is the middle manager who provides the human connection between the frontline and upper management, maintaining task allocation, productivity, retention efforts, staff motivation, and a sense of purpose alive in the work environment.
Middle management keeps the flow going
In other words, the opposition is not just to the role itself, but to the traditional execution format (which proves to be highly inefficient for both health and business). Looking at the new generation's questions as a gateway to thinking about different ways and methods of working, with the goal of creating a sense of purpose, is an opportunity to make departments and environments more efficient and less toxic for everyone.
Dismissing middle management, when they play such a fundamental role, is not a wise decision.
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