Support needed from above, below and horizontally

I’ve recently started a management support / study group here at Gemini. We’ve only met once, so we’ll see how it goes, but while thinking about it, I realized that the best institutions probably provide three levels of support for their managers: top down, bottom-up, and horizontally.

Good managers will work (and hire!) a team that can both support them and do their own jobs.  Good employees know that one of the keys to job security is to make your boss look good.  Good managers also work with, support, and mentor the managers that report to them.  But what about peer support?  How do we make sure people on the same level of the organization chart get support and learn from each other?

If you’re Manger X and are having some trouble with your boss, you probably ultimately need to talk to your boss about it, but you will probably also need some advice and support before you do.  It’s really not a good idea to bring your issues with your manager to the people you manage, altough people often fall into this trap. Although it does build group cohesiveness and can unite teams if they feel like they are facing a common enemy, it ultimately does harm to the institution and to one’s own ultimate ability to work within all levels of the organization.

So, you really need a network of peers for support and advice, yet such structures do not tend to naturally evolve in many organizations.  There are often meetings with all Board members all upper managers, but not similar gatherings for middle and low managers. I think there should be! (And partially hence, my recent lunch group creation.)  So, while you wait for upper management to read my blog and create regular middle and lower management meetings, I recommend calling your own, or creating an informal group like I did. I also think it’s wise to reach out to people in your similar position in other organizations and to do this as soon as possible in the job. This early reaching-out and honest requests for advice and assistance will help build your support group with people already geared up to help you.

These are just my ideas- what has anyone else tried that’s worked? How do middle managers build a support team from other middle managers?


Speaking, of support, Happy Mother’s Day Mom and Mom of our daughter!

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