Middle managers are meant to serve as a go-between for leadership teams and individual contributors. But in large organizations, with many layers of hierarchy, some of these roles feel like bureaucratic bloat, which, in tighter economic times, makes them a target for elimination. Emily Field, a partner at McKinsey & Company, thinks in many cases that's a mistake. She argues that most middle managers are critical to corporate performance and productivity, executive team insight, and employee well-being. The key is making sure their roles adapt to the times. Field is the coauthor, along with Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger, of the HBR article "Don’t Eliminate Your Middle Managers," as well as the book Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work.

Emily Field, Partner at McKinsey & Company, discusses the challenges of middle management, their unique value to organizations, and steps senior leaders can take to better support them. Topics include the player-coach model, involving managers in decision making, adapting their role to support teams, and implementing decisions regarding remote work.

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