We recently created a layer of middle management on our Accountability Chart to free up our leadership team, but these new managers are struggling to hold their teams accountable and keep running to us for direction. How do we define and support these new seats so they actually take ownership instead of passing the buck back up?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Creating a middle management layer is a crucial step in scaling your business, but these new seats often fail because the leadership team fails to properly define and support them. If your new managers are constantly passing decisions back up to you, they do not truly own their seats.

To fix this, you must ensure their seats on the Accountability Chart include the non-negotiable role of Lead, Manage, and Accountable (LMA). LMA is a distinct responsibility that requires specific skills, including:
- Setting clear expectations and keeping team members focused on their weekly Rocks.
- Conducting regular feedback sessions and managing performance issues directly.
- Removing obstacles so their direct reports can execute their roles efficiently.

If your new managers are struggling, you must run a GWC™ check on their LMA capability. Often, we promote high-performing technical doers to management seats without verifying if they actually want to manage people or have the capacity to do so.

If they GWC™ the seat, invest in their leadership training. If they do not, you must make the hard call to put them back into an individual contributor seat where they can thrive, and find a true manager for the seat.