Empowering middle managers
Mary, who rang up a few weeks ago and told Baat Gwaa how concerned she was about her job because of an imminent war between older and younger staff, is a changed woman now.
She is confident, highly motivated and cheerful. Her bank has promoted her, assigning her to manage a team to develop new products and services to attract new customers.
Mary's case is not unique. Many of Baat Gwaa's friends, who are mostly middle managers, have suddenly been 'rediscovered' by their bosses.
A personnel manager points out that many companies have for a long time underdeveloped their middle management. With the upturn in the economy, they now find themselves struggling to cope with expansion because their mid-managers are not properly equipped to tackle the challenge.
'They have finally realised how important it is to fully utilise company resources by creatively and systematically building the capabilities of their mid-level managers.
'The mid-section is a tough spot to occupy because you are constantly being pulled by people above and below you. But, once you've got the hang of it, it's a good spot to have because you are both the connector and influencer,' she says.
