The Development Paradox: Why Middle Managers Struggle to Prioritize Talent Development and what to do about it.
A McKinsey survey reveals that nearly half of middle managers spend less than a quarter of their time on talent and people development. That is not a lot, considering that 86 percent of respondents say coaching employees and 56 percent say development of employees are the top two ways they add the most value. 35% of respondents cite a lack of necessary resources, indicating that organizational structures may not prioritize or support talent development effectively. But the primary reason most middle managers feel that don’t contribute enough to talent development is a lack of time.
It is clear that middle managers want to work more on talent development but there are other aspects of the job that eat up the time. We need to find more time for middle managers to solve this. We know we can’t find more hours in the day so this automatically becomes a matter of efficiency or priority. Talent management is high on the list of priorities for both middle managers and the organizations they work for, so we need to look at efficiency. If we go back to the same McKinsey research, we can see the following time split:
As you can see, Middle managers often find their schedules dominated by individual contributor tasks (31%) and administrative duties (18%), leaving limited time for essential people development activities. Winning time is never easy but there are steps that middle managers can take to create room.
Delegate Non-Essential Tasks: Empower team members by assigning appropriate tasks, which not only frees up managers but also fosters employee growth. This really is a win-win that is not leveraged enough.
Leverage AI: Implement tools that automate routine administrative functions, such as scheduling and reporting, to reduce manual workload. AI can be a massive time-save and it is worth it to prioritize how it can fit in your workload as a middle manager.
Prioritize and Streamline Meetings: Limit meetings to those that are essential, set clear agendas, and enforce time limits to ensure efficiency.
Enhance Time Management Skills: Adopt techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on high-impact activities and minimize time spent on less critical tasks.
Seek Organizational Support: Advocate for structural changes that recognize and prioritize talent development as a key managerial responsibility.
None of this will happen without active work and a commitment to change the way middle managers make room for talent development. But it is worth it. The lack of focus on talent development has broader implications. Organizations that fail to empower middle managers in this area risk lower employee engagement, reduced productivity, and higher turnover rates. The good news is, it is never too late. The best time to start freeing up time is today.