logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
22m 48s

Why Middle Managers are Feeling the Sque...

The Wall Street Journal
About this episode

Middle managers are in charge of implementing the slew of changes taking effect in workplaces nationwide — and polling shows it’s making them miserable. A new report from the Future Forum finds that middle managers are more stressed than any of their co-workers. Why? According to Brian Elliott, a senior vice president at Slack and Executive Leader of the Future Forum, it’s because middle managers are in a game of tug of war between executives and their direct reports. He tells us what executives can do to pave paths for middle managers to find success now. And we hear from a middle manager who decided she felt too squeezed to stay in a corporate job. 


Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394.


Further Reading:

The War to Define What Work Looks Like 

Here’s How the Modern Manager is Changing Why Bosses Should Ask Employees to do Less, Not More Workplace Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jun 2023
Your Boss Is Checking Your Social Media. It’s Not As Scary As You Think
Worried that your boss – or soon-to-be boss – is checking your social media? Some employers are screening social media as part of background checks, and what you post can make a difference in whether you get a job. But that doesn’t mean you have to scrub your online history. Back ... Show More
17m 1s
May 2023
Having a Productive Summer While Your Team Is Out of the Office
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It’s also the unofficial start of summer vacation season, when your team starts jockeying to take time off. But what happens to your big project when your manager, and co-workers, are out of the office? We hear how some companies ... Show More
16m 52s
May 2023
Co-Workers Getting On Your Nerves? Here’s How to Handle It Better
Are your co-workers' quirks driving you crazy? From the cubicle-mate who talks too loudly on the phone, to the person who always microwaves fish for lunch, to the supervisor who’s never on time for a meeting, every office has people who get on your nerves. But you don’t have to l ... Show More
20m 11s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
Who's the Boss?
Workers are now expecting more from their employers beyond a paycheck and benefits. Employees want an employer who lines up with their values outside of work and stands up in the name of justice. And when they don’t, employees are becoming more active about asking their companies ... Show More
41m 7s
Jul 2023
In Defense of Middle Management
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. ... Show More
28 m
May 2019
Executive Ambitions
Do you want the corner office someday? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Mike Troiano, a venture capitalist and former executive. They talk through what to do when you’re falling off the executive track, you’re moving up but don’t believe in the company’s stra ... Show More
33m 52s
Jul 2021
r/Maliciouscompliance My Manager Told Me To Quit, So... I Quit! BYE-BYE!
r/Maliciouscompliance In today's episode, OP's company has an obnoxious policy about phone use. A manager catches OP on his phone, and of course the manager decides to lecture OP despite the fact that OP is the most useful and productive worker in the entire company. OP takes his ... Show More
17m 22s
Jun 2024
Why Managers Play Favorites – and How They Can Change
While most good bosses try to be fair and balanced with their direct reports, it's only human to prefer the company and work styles of some team members over others, and employees are keenly aware of those preferences. They see favorites and non-favorites, ingroups and outgroups ... Show More
27m 32s
Nov 2022
What Do Managers of Managers Do? (The Crank Call From Kim) 4 | 16
Does anyone actually want to be a manager of managers? And if so, what do these people actually do? On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast Kim, Jason and Amy discuss strategies for being an effective manager of managers. If you're managing people who manage other people, t ... Show More
58m 23s
Aug 2019
Managing Older Workers
Are you struggling to manage people who are older than you? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of workplace consultant Lindsey Pollak. They talk through what to do when you’ve been promoted above more experienced colleagues, you’re not sure how to motivate older r ... Show More
32m 59s
Apr 2022
Let’s Redefine the Role of Manager
Most managers today are overwhelmed. Thanks to rapid technological change, flattening hierarchies, agile work, and new attitudes about talent, they have to do more than ever. Lynda Gratton, professor at London Business School and the founder of HSM, points to a few ways we can so ... Show More
24m 25s
May 2024
Being the Employee Vs Manager Vs CEO In Your Business
Send us a textDo you feel bogged down in your business? You might be in your email inbox more often than you want to be. Or chasing people who still need to pay that invoice or scheduling people on your calendar all the time. Or perhaps you’re stuck on the technical side of thing ... Show More
45m 37s
Oct 2020
Flawed Bosses
Do you wish you could understand your boss better? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Mimi Nicklin, a business coach and the author of the new book Softening the Edge: Empathy: How humanity’s oldest leadership trait is changing our world. They talk through what ... Show More
36m 58s