I was first distressed, then inspired, to read this post from Joe Wynne, on his "Eye on the Workforce" blog on Gantthead.com, that middle managers are getting frustrated and leaving their jobs. Wynne points to a USAToday story on about middle managers, and states, "That’s what you are if you are a project manager – between a rock and a hard place."

The USAToday story quotes these statistics:

Just four in 10 managers are extremely or very satisfied working for their employers, according to a 2007 survey of more than 1,400 respondents by Accenture, a management consulting and outsourcing company. About 25% of those looking for new jobs said they were searching because of a lack of advancement prospects, and 43% of middle managers polled felt as if they were doing all the work but not getting credit for it. One-third reported frustration with their work-life
balance.

It is distressing that the project managers of the world may not be getting the credit, and therefore the job satisfaction, they deserve. This distresses me because I see a world where Project Manager is a hot title, because the role of Project Workforce Manager must become more critical in a flat world.

I was inspired by Wynne’s advice:

If middle managers are not getting any respect I your organization, move on. But only move on to another organization that supports middle managers. If there are fewer and fewer middle managers, and you get extra training and development in that area, then you can quickly become a hot commodity! Start your research now.

Employers who don’t make the Project Workforce Manager’s title a hot one, through respect and good compensation, should get what they deserve–inferior Project Workforce Managers. On the other hand, the employers who understand the value of managers who can manage remote teams, match talent to tasks, and make work happen smoothly should not be afraid to seek employment where they will get the most for their abilities.