Introduction: Recently, many companies are laying off employees, focusing on the middle level, how to become a competent middle level?
In recent times, the news of layoffs has increased instead of decreasing, Apple, IBM, and Dell are among them, and Feishu has laid off nearly 1,000 people, accounting for 20%.
When the environment is not good, large enterprises should focus on their business and begin to lay off employees.
This is especially true for small companies, where they have to survive in the event of a threat to survival.
Previously, layoffs were mainly focused on grassroots employees, but more and more companies are realizing that they can't cut the front line.
Instead, layoffs should be concentrated in the middle level, which is costly, but many middle managers do not play a role.
As early as 2012, Haier eliminated 12,000 managers from its middle management department.
So, what kind of middle level is at risk of being laid off?
These three kinds of middle layers are dangerous
In every company, these three types of middle management can actually be eliminated.
1. Microphone
If the company wants to develop well, different levels of managers have to perform their own duties.
The top level must have decisiveness, the middle level must have understanding, and the grassroots level must have execution.
The middle level is connected from the previous to the next, but many middle layers do not have the ability to understand, but only play the role of a microphone.
When the work was implemented in his own department, he didn't have his own thinking and didn't know how to do it, so he directly threw the work to his subordinates.
His own opinion is never explained, when his subordinates are confused, when he asks him what to do, he says that you can figure it out yourself, and if something happens, you will find your subordinates to take the blame.
And once he encounters a problem, a stuck point, or even a grievance at the grassroots level, when he doesn't understand, he doesn't go to appease his subordinates, not to solve the problem, but to throw the blame, saying that it has nothing to do with him, it was arranged by the boss, and it was said by the boss.
The middle-level managers in the microphone style will only transfer the contradictions, or even intensify and expand the contradictions, and such middle-level managers will definitely be eliminated.
2. Mountaineering
This kind of phenomenon is also extremely common, he always picks the subordinates he likes, and uses people he is familiar with, rather than really capable subordinates.
Slowly, the team was full of people similar to him, and everyone patted him on the back, and finally formed Shantouism.
Others, no matter how capable they are, will be excluded. Many excellent people feel that they have no future, are not valued, and have to leave.
And he has been consolidating his own hill and eroding the company's interests.
3. Virtue is not matched
There is also a type of middle manager, who is not work-oriented, but superior-oriented.
His eyes were on the boss. Every day, he studies the boss's preferences, figurs out the holy will, and flatters the boss.
His ass is aimed at the client. He is completely self-centered, ignoring the needs of customers, not solving customers' problems, and ignoring customers.
His body is in the office. Today, when the environment is not good, the middle level has to go to the front line to fight in person, and it is necessary to set up the headquarters in the place where artillery fire occurs, but he hides in the office to watch the "twists and turns", hides in a small building to form a unity, and manages his winter, summer, spring and autumn.
This kind of comfort in the middle of the company's mix should also be eliminated.
At the critical moment of life and death, the organizational structure must be flat and go directly to the front line of the business, so the middle team must be optimized.
The above are the 3 types of incompetent middle managers, who cannot be allowed to occupy their positions, hold tickets, and mix their days. Eliminating a mediocre middle level is more effective than eliminating 10 mediocre employees.
There are 3 abilities that must be possessed to become a qualified mid-level
So, how do you become a competent middle manager? You need to have these three competencies.
1. Select and train capable grassroots managers
As a mid-level manager, you should realize that you are a coach and mentor to the junior managers, and you should at least devote a significant part of your time to developing the lower level managers.
When you have a strong ability and master the methods and systems, you can empower your subordinates to complete the work, and you can also find time to do more important things.
If you don't train people, then you can only keep demoting and doing the work of grassroots managers.
Therefore, you have to learn to select and train your subordinates, and you also have to train your own deputies, Ma Huateng also requires the middle level, and only gives them half a year.
But it should be noted that you can't be a "pseudo-middle-level", you can't just select people who are familiar with you or similar to you, but you have to appoint people on the basis of merit, so as to avoid mountaineering.
2. Make front-line managers accountable for management work
Many middle managers, especially those who like cross-level management. Go directly past the front-line manager and assign tasks to his subordinates.
In the end, grassroots employees were led by multiple heads, and front-line managers also felt distrusted, and they were hollowed out, which aggravated the internal friction of the team.
And as a middle manager, I also got caught up in specific affairs and didn't do more important things.
Leadership guru John S. C. Maxwell said, "Good leaders control two main issues: direction and timing. ”
So, you have to refocus your work, and the core is to grasp the direction of the frontline managers' work, and when the strategy is broken down, tell them what to do and why to do it, and hold them accountable for the management work.
It is also necessary to properly evaluate the work of front-line managers, and also to coach incompetent grassroots managers.
Cultivate them, so that they not only pay attention to business, but also pay attention to management and people.
After counseling, if you find that this person is not suitable, you should also be a "bad person", make personnel adjustments in time, and never promote unsuitable people to management positions.
3. Coordinate the allocation of various resources by various departments
Ren Zhengfei said: It is necessary to cut off the "hands and feet" of the high-level, the "buttocks" of the middle-level, and the "heads" of the grass-roots level.
The core of cutting off the middle level of the ass is to break the standardism, and the ass cannot decide the head.
When you sit in a middle-level management position, you can't just start from the interests of your own department, but work from the overall situation, and even pull your hair and think about problems at the level of the boss.
The middle level needs to allocate resources among different departments, involving fund allocation, technical resource allocation, personnel allocation, etc., and finally create conditions for the grassroots to improve work efficiency.
Therefore, you should also think about:
Will each department be able to meet its tasks on time and in terms of quality and cost control, and if not, what resources are needed?
Which department is best suited to work on challenging projects, which team is wasting resources, and which department is creating the most contribution?
And how can you optimize your processes so that your system is efficient?
……
Behind these questions, the test is whether you have strategic understanding and a good global vision.
You see, the requirements for the middle level are very high, and if you don't have these abilities, you can't be the middle level.
The so-called incompetence at the middle level exhausted the three armies. You are a practical middle level, and you will be reused.