When it comes to organizational change, leaders who work in the “middle” of colleges and universities, often called “middle managers,” get a bad rap. In academic affairs, student affairs, and student success, we define middle managers as the people who design and oversee direct service delivery teams. Directors, deans, assistant vice presidents and assistant vice provosts are key leaders who often have both the vision and the subject matter expertise to implement the mission and the institutional north star. Yet, too often middle managers are criticized as resisting change and being impediments to strategic implementation demanded by students or imposed by senior leaders.
For the last several years, as change management has become a higher education buzzword, we have observed a number of programs designed to build the capacity of middle managers to embrace change. Many of these change management programs have been flawed in two ways. They default to models centered on incremental, small-scale pilots that cannot be replicated or sustained due to soft or no funding. Or, they focus more on individual attitudes like motivation, or the emotional capacity of the manager. In so doing, these well-intended programs overlook the structural constraints that inform the actions of middle managers and inhibit change leadership.
We've been wondering if higher education has displaced our deficit-centered misunderstandings from students to middle managers? Has this deficit model contributed to the wave of work focused on change management?
When we don’t think that real transformation, like change leadership, is possible, and we scapegoat middle managers, organizations must settle for tweaks and pilots because we cannot engage the deeper issues that shape the contexts in which we must operate.
What if we shift our thinking both about middle managers and the skills that they can develop to create a different depth and quality of change? What happens if we create the conditions in which middle managers can operate as leaders, who can enact change leadership in critical ways.
The Myth of the Middle Manager
First, we need to dismantle the myth that there are middle managers and then there are more “senior leaders.” We have held all kinds of titles and worked within all kinds of colleges and universities.
Based on our experiences, we are all middle managers because we all maintain accountability to more boards or individuals who oversee and evaluate our work at the same time we have responsibilities to the people who report to us. It’s the symbiotic nature of college and university life.
Day in and day out, middle managers work at most of the institutional friction points of the university and serve at the intersection of evolving student needs, technological advancements, regulatory requirements, and financial pressures. Middle managers in higher education serve as the bridge between the executive and senior team and the faculty, staff, and students who are directly affected by institutional changes. Their role requires not only the translation of strategic visions into actionable plans but also the stewardship of day-to-day operations during times of transition.
Change Management from the Middle of the Organization
Once we understand that there is always a middle somewhere, and that most of us operate in the middle of our organizations, we can re-examine change management. Conventional change management initiatives often take an incremental approach to organizational problem solving because organizations rarely make the time to map change management onto existing institutional structures or examine existing structures incentives to understand how the status quo is being rewarded. When these critical steps are missed, leaders and practitioners working in the middle of the university experience change management as a call to implement unfunded, small-scale shifts that are more performative than substantive. Too often, then, we blame a lack of vision when the structural conditional for success have not been defined or generated.
Middle Managers and Change Leadership
Change leadership operates from a fundamentally different premise. Change leadership leverages first principles thinking to frame the change that needs to be made in terms of the organizational structures in which the problem has emerged, the silos in which it is stuck, and the material and cultural rewards that emerge from the status quo. Through that lens, change leadership creates the conditions enabling middle managers to view the change through a different lens and enact the four key dimensions of change leadership:
1. Communicate Vision and Strategy: Middle managers must clearly articulate the rationale behind change initiatives, aligning their teams with the broader institutional goals. This involves translating complex strategic decisions into relevant and relatable terms for their staff, thereby fostering buy-in and reducing resistance.
2. Facilitate Collaboration and Teamwork: Change often disrupts established workflows and team dynamics. Middle managers must encourage collaboration across departments, facilitating the sharing of resources, knowledge, and best practices. At the same time, managers must be able to empower staff to participate in the design of the new workflows in order to build buy-in .
3. Manage Resistance to Change: Resistance is a natural response to change, particularly in higher education, where long-standing traditions and practices are deeply ingrained. Middle managers must identify sources of resistance, especially perceived threats to job security, or concerns about the impact on teaching and research quality. Making time for intentional conversation about how change leadership will be integrated into performance reviews and promotion are critical dimensions of change leadership to discuss early and often.
4. Develop and Support Staff: Change can place significant stress on faculty and staff, who may need to acquire new skills, adapt to new technologies, or adjust to new ways of working. Middle managers play a critical role in identifying these needs and facilitating access to professional development opportunities. By investing in their team's growth, middle managers ensure that staff are equipped to succeed in the new environment. That means that managers must be ready to engage the resource conversations that inevitably attend change leadership.
Change leadership in higher education is a complex and multifaceted challenge, particularly for middle managers who must navigate the intersection of strategic vision and operational execution. By adopting a strategic approach that begins with structures and rewards, then emphasizes communication, collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder engagement, middle managers can effectively lead their teams through periods of transformation. In doing so, they not only contribute to the success of their institutions but also foster a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement that is essential for thriving in the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education.