Retaining Middle Managers Guides Your Retention Strategy

Motivating middle management to maintain high levels of effort and performance is part of a larger retention policy of successful organizations. Employees at all levels need support from management to feel internal driven to perform at their highest levels. After all, these middle managers are responsible for their performance as well as that of their direct reports. The following are motivators that managers need in order to keep up their enthusiasm for the organization:

Top Ten Motivators^*

1. Respect for me as a competent and committed person
2. Mutual trust with immediate manager
3. Participation in decisions that affect my area
4. Enjoyment of the work
5. Opportunity for self-development
6. Feeling that the job is important
7. Upper management's awareness of my job results
8. Fairness in how people are rewarded for work performance
9. Full appreciation for work well done
10. Working on special projects of my choice.

Source: Antonioni, D. (1999). What motivates middle managers? Industrial Management, 41(6).