I started working in the fall of 1959 as a stock boy at a local grocery store and before officially retiring in 2009, I served as a middle manager spanning five decades for organizations in the manufacturing, retail, insurance, software and publishing industries. I’ve been around computers and software since the punch card. I’ve worked with over fifty bosses (one for six days!) and managed hundreds of creative contributors including computer programmers, technical and marketing writers, editors, language translators, web programmers, graphic designers, project managers and event planners.

But why did I create this website? Well, I got laid off in 2008 so I had lots of extra time on my hands and watched the news on TV way too much. I became obsessed with the economic crisis (the worst in my lifetime and I'll bet most likely in yours too), as the news was constantly focused on the layoffs, closings, bailouts, foreclosures, corporate greed and dishonesty and I started to wonder who and/or what was really to blame for this collapse.

  • Was it the owners, presidents and CEO's of our organizations?
  • What role did senior management play?
  • Did our “worker bees” contribute?
  • Was our government involved?

And then it hit me. Nobody ever mentioned the “middle manager!” Why not? Simply stated, they are invisible! And then I thought that perhaps the middle manager could be the missing piece in improving all of our organizations, as well as our economy. There are certainly a lot more middles than there are seniors. The potential positive impact of stronger middle management could be enormous!

I searched for training that focused specifically on the special needs of the middle manager, but did not find anything. I started working on a training program that offers ideas, tips, techniques and processes presented in a structured mythology to help transform managers who are “stuck in the middle” to be a happier, more effective leader working with a truly empowered team that really enjoys what they do.

The training program has also evolved into a book entitled Middle Management 101 - Zen in the Art of Middle Management based upon a suggestion from a friend and former coworker. I’ve self-published this book with the help of the outstanding team at CreateSpace, an Amazon company.

 The book features eight key areas for success:

  • Recruiting the Best Talent for Your Team
  • Empowering Your Team
  • Rewarding Your Team
  • Communication Is Key to Everything
  • Managing Projects
  • Quality: “To Be, or Not to Be?”
  • Key Core Values to Display Daily
  • Things NOT to Worry About! 

The book is available on Amazon.com. In addition to the book I offer coaching, training and speaking services in my new career as a Middle Manager Advocate.