Middle managers have long been the butt of jokes, and now they’re disappearing as companies grow flatter. Here’s why you need them.

Betwixt and between  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

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In the middle The news • Who’s the boss? As companies set their sights on modernizing and restructuring their workforces, many have sought to “delayer” their ranks and flatten their hierarchies. While breaking down silos, incorporating new ways of working with technology, and enabling greater agility are all worthwhile goals, bosses—including middle managers—offer much-needed structure. “A leadership vacuum risks being filled by petty tyranny,” notes The Economist. [Economist] • The crucial middle layer. Middle managers, fundamentally, are the link between top management and more junior frontline employees. Their role has arguably become even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic as large swaths of the workforce went virtual and some team structures became more distributed. Middle managers are the key to empowering the individuals they oversee while also ensuring that teams succeed in achieving the goals of senior leaders. [Times of India] “Middle management is part of the fabric of your leadership pipeline. These roles should be coveted and nurtured and curated, not eliminated.” Our insights • Flatter isn’t always better. The COVID-19 crisis has necessitated a “flatter, faster, leaner” mindset as leaders aimed to make high-stakes decisions more quickly than ever, with fewer decision makers at the table. But as companies emerge from the pandemic and begin to reimagine their enduring organizational structures, not every pandemic survival response will be the right approach for the long term. • Carefully crafted roles. When it comes to middle management, rather than eliminating positions entirely, companies can find ways to restructure the roles to be more impactful by cutting out unnecessary, non-value-adding tasks and focusing instead on training, relationship building, and people development. Providing clarity about the responsibilities, scope, and purpose of your middle managers’ roles can, in turn, improve speed and cost for the organization and safeguard a leadership pipeline for the future. — Edited by Dana Sand    Meet in the middle Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback — we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2021 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007