The Performance Pipeline: Getting the Right Performance At Every Level of Leadership

6

Managers of Managers

Productivity

Of all the layers, this one generates the most confusion and requests for clarification. One problem is that people treat the Manager of Managers (MOM) layer as if it were the layer below—Manager of Others. MOMs in every company are responsible for 90–95 percent of the workforce; the layers above them are sparsely populated, relatively speaking. Despite this great responsibility, Managers of Managers are often thought of as “junior” or “unimportant,” and that is a second problem.

In fact, Managers of Managers are the key to a productive organization. In difficult business climates where cutbacks and staff reductions are common, they provide the day-to-day thinking, planning, and leading that keep the business ...