Let’s Start Celebrating Middle Management
I read this post by Allison Pollard the other day—
A friend recently texted me: “So many of those LinkedIn posts that you have been putting out lately resonate with me!”
This meant a lot because I write for a very specific group of people: technical managers who sit between senior leadership and development teams.
Middle managers don’t always get the attention that executives or engineers do, but they are the glue that holds organizations together. They:
✅ Translate strategy into action
✅ Solve problems before they escalate
✅ Keep software delivery on track while balancing competing demands
And yet, their work is often invisible. That’s why I keep writing about it—because I see the challenges they face, and I know how much better organizations run when middle managers are supported.
If you’re a middle manager, what’s something you do that people don’t always see?
And it made me reflect…
I wondered how often I’ve heard agile practitioners complain about MM’s. For example—
We could be agile if only they…
They’re not listening to or supporting us…
I wish they’d stop micromanaging me/us…
I shared a great improvement idea with my boss, and they ignored me…
All my manager cares about are metrics and delivery dates…
Since the beginning of the agile movement, we have become comfortable complaining about, vilifying, and stereotyping middle managers, project managers, resource managers, and virtually anyone tasked with formally leading team members.
Over the years, I’ve fallen into the same bad habit—writing a lot about these folks, mostly critical of their bad behavior and habits. So, guilty as charged.
A common phrase has been applied to them in agile contexts—The Frozen Middle.
But all of that said, MM’s are also a product of the culture and their leadership teams. So, any criticism should fall more broadly than it typically does.
But what we haven’t done is celebrate them
I get the fact that there are many mediocre, bad, or downright awful managers in corporate contexts. Just as there are similar employees in these contexts.
But by stereotyping them, we forget to celebrate the good ones. And believe me there are good ones out there.
So, I want everyone to celebrate today as—Celebrate your Manager Day.
If you have a “good one”, then—
Give them a hug
Send them a thank you or appreciation note
Support their efforts and work
Embrace their feedback
Take a walk in their shoes
Send them a handwritten note
And otherwise, be grateful for them.
What we ALL don’t realize are four things—
Middle Management is incredibly HARD.
Middle Managers are following directions.
Middle Managers are generally well-intentioned and care, so assume positive intent.
Middle Managers are HUMAN and are not perfect.
Stay agile and be kind to your manager, my friends,
Bob.
PS: And stop reading the books that talk about bad managers. They’re just amplifying the problem and not connecting (partnering) you with your manager. Instead, look for books that amplify and celebrate excellent management and leadership.
PPS: If you’re an Agile Coach who blames “them” at every turn in your coaching, you might want to look in the mirror.