Interpersonal (Figurehead role, Leader role, and Liaison role) Informational role (Monitor role, Disseminator and Spokesperson

n Role) Decisional role (Entrepreneurial role, Disturbance handler role, Resource allocator and negotiator role

Henry Mintzberg identified ten roles of top/middle executives in an organisation. He further divided them into three major categories.

 V.Nilakanth

and S.Ramnarayan classified middle managerial functions as

Maintenance (ensuring a non-disruptive work flow) Innovation (involving, strategic and developmental aspects).

They stated that middle managers spend a large part in their day-to-day work in maintenance activities and little time in innovative activity.

There is an interesting paradox in organisational life. Senior management expects middle managers to move away from performing just the maintenance function. On the other hand, middle managers feel that senior managers do not provide requisite support for creativity and innovation

Three more roles are significant for middle management work. 1. Getting things done, 2. Coping with uncertainty, and 3. Coordinating with various other departments

NEW ROLES FOR MIDDLE MANAGERS

They have to give up their segmentalistic, functional and isolationistic roles and develop an integrated approach to their functioning.

A second shift in middle managers role is from bureaucratic orientation to intrapreneurship

 An Intrapreneur middle manager is diametrically asymmetrical to the bureaucratic one. He is an entrepreneur and acts from that reference point. He is More concerned about results rather than rules and procedures. He has missionary zeal for his own section or department and role His section or department can play in achieving the overall organisational goals.

 He has strong loyalty and commitment to the organisation, He is willing to take risk. He is ready to go out of his way to get things done. His primary motivation is a sense of excellence in whatever he does He seeks opportunities and is thrilled to meet new challenges.

Another new role is that of an innovator

FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INNOVTIVE MIDDLE

They are comfortable with change MANAGES They have the clarity of direction. They are thorough They have a participative management style They possess the attributes of persuasiveness, persistence and discretion.

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO TRANSFORM MIDDLE MANAGERIAL ROLES:

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO TRANSFORM MIDDLE MANAGERIAL ROLES:

 Taking up responsibility Taking risk and initiating action, being creative and innovative Developing skills for team building, Networking and negotiation Giving up empire building and developing interdependence and mutuality Being ready to accept the value of expertise and rotation of leadership in different situations

 Getting Ready for rotation and developing holistic outlook Giving up the expectations of fast promotion and looking out for challenges Accepting challenges and developing a General Managers skills Cooperating in needs assessment and taking training seriously Developing holistic and integrative perspective, being more sensitive to ones environment

CONCLUSION:
One can be successful only if he/she changes. One also has to realise that managerial effectiveness in the middle requires management of different expectations from role senders, i.e., superiors, subordinates and peers.

A middle managers success is affected by several people and as such he should relate himself/herself with them effectively.

One has to be an adept team player and be effective in peer relationship management.

THANK YOU