We are all “middles” in Barry Oshry’s world. The meat in the sandwich between customers and management, between your team and the boss, between home and work.
And middles can feel powerless, overwhelmed, stuck. It leads to all kinds of problematic behaviours, from “getting off on the HOF” as one of my friends put it (where senior leaders relish crisis, or Hair on Fire events, because it gives them the impression that they can cut through the crap and get something done…. even when the crisis is of their own making).
Watch this summary of the idea of middles from my mate Paul Mitchell. Mitch gives you an idea of what middles are about.
Then download this free tool based on Oshry’s work, it will give you, as a middle, a plan to continue to be effective without creating a crisis. You can eliminate silos and create support for yourself.
