Emily Field, a partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of *Power to the Middle*, discusses the often-overlooked significance of middle managers in organizations. She reveals the unique challenges they face and argues for recognizing their role as critical to employee engagement and overall success. Emily emphasizes the need for senior leaders to support middle managers through job rebundling and talent redistribution, transforming these roles into empowering positions that enhance productivity and workplace culture.

Emily Field, a partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of 'Don't Eliminate Your Middle Managers,' discusses the critical role of middle management in organizations. She argues that these managers are essential for performance, employee well-being, and navigating corporate complexity. Field emphasizes the need for tailored leadership development and freeing managers from administrative burdens to enhance strategic thinking. She also highlights the importance of middle managers in talent development, particularly for the emerging Gen Z workforce, especially during cost-cutting times.

Bryan Hancock and Emily Field, McKinsey talent experts and co-authors of *Power to the Middle*, dive into the pivotal role of middle managers amid evolving workplace dynamics. They discuss generative AI's potential to reduce administrative burdens, allowing managers to better support their teams. The duo also highlights the hurdles women face in promotions and the 'broken rung' phenomenon, stressing the need for a supportive environment for all managers. Their insights aim to reshape the perception and effectiveness of middle management in today's work landscape.

Rachel Thomas and Emily Field discuss the McKinsey Women in the Workplace Report 2023, debunking the myth of women lacking ambition, addressing the first promotion barrier, importance of data in flexible work models, building an 'I Love Me' file, proactive communication with managers, and using performance evaluation for development.

Welcome to an interview with the author of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, Emily Field. In this book, McKinsey thought leaders Bill Schaninger, Bryan Hancock, and Emily Field call for a profound reimagining of managers and their roles. They explain how middle managers are uniquely positioned close to the ground but with a crucial connection to company strategy, enabling them to guide their organizations through periods of rapid and complex change, as well as to help shape the new world of work. Emily Field is a partner in McKinsey's Seattle office. She helps organizations with distributed workforces deliver on their performance goals, with the role of the manager front and center. Emily holds a BA in government from Georgetown University. Get Emily’s book here: https://rb.gy/q4qmv Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo