If you listen to advertising on radio or TV, you often hear claims, particularly from jewelers, about how them eliminating the “middleman” results in you saving money.
Now I’ve never actually spotted a middleman but from what I can gather, they are greedy, spend time slowing down the supply chain, and most likely have the respect of a sleazy salesperson.
But believe it or not, the middleman exists in most organizations today. If you’re The Boss, are looking to one day be The Boss, or simply want to impress The Boss, it might be a good idea to learn who or what the middleman is.
In organizations and processes, the middleman is that extra step or that duplicate part of the system that jams up the works. It might be a report that somebody wants but nobody actually needs. It could be a department that has no useful function any longer. It’s possibly a position that’s no longer relevant. It actually might be person whose sole job is to occupy a traditional position that’s been in place for years. If you want to build your credibility or worth, identify the middleman and if appropriate, eliminate him.
How Do You Do This?
- Look at Results. Are you getting the numbers you need? Do the numbers improve every year or are they staying the same?
- Look at the Process. Are things done a certain way because of habit? Is the process still relevant? Is there duplication or excessive steps?
- Look at the People. Are any roles still in place because of fear of loss of corporate knowledge, loyalty, or continuity? Are the people in this process still adding value? Are they improving themselves? Are they pushing back on learning more or taking on additional challenges?
If any of the above conditions apply, they scream of middleman occupation. As The Boss, you owe it to yourself, your team, and your company to make improvements.
It sounds good, but how can you make it happen without offending people and screwing over yourself in the process?
- Use data, not assumption. Numbers don’t lie. Interpretations of those numbers can lie. Present data as-is and let observers see it for what it is.
- Sit in curiosity, not assumption. Ask why things are done as they are from different levels of the team. There might be a legitimate reason for the middleman that actually serves a useful purpose.
- Express your ideas in a framework of caring and concern for the organization’s health, not your own power and glorification. Your goal should not be middleman hunting but process and organizational improvement.
And, if you make your case and convince your organization or your boss that the middleman must go, do it with caring and dignity. After all, each one of us will someday run out of energy and good ideas and today’s cutting-edge system will someday be just another middleman taking up space.
