Unlocking Purpose at Work: Are Middle Managers the Missing Link?

Strategy & Execution, Transformative Volunteering, Workplace Culture

The “middle manager” demographic often doesn’t get the consideration it both needs and deserves when it comes to entrenching purpose in company culture. And that’s a big mistake. There’s a reason this group is sometimes referred to as the “frozen middle” – middle managers play a pivotal role in either propelling or hindering employee involvement in purpose-related activities and initiatives.  

The Untapped Potential of Middle Managers 

Middle managers are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between executive aspirations and frontline execution. Their day-to-day involvement with their teams provides them with a deep understanding of individual motivations and organizational dynamics. However, this group is often caught in the crossfire of executing strategies and managing up-and-down the organizational hierarchy. Insights from McKinsey highlight a pivotal way middle managers can drive significant impact: helping employees find and live their purpose at work. 

The McKinsey research underscores the importance of purpose in the workplace, noting that employees who feel a strong connection between their personal purpose and their work are more productive, engaged, and more likely to stay with their company. Research from Benevity shows that companies see a 52% lower turnover among newer employees when they participate in purpose programs. This connection to purpose is not just a nice-to-have but a fundamental need for today’s workforce, with many employees reconsidering their work and life goals in the face of global challenges and changes. Middle managers are in a prime position to facilitate this alignment of individual and organizational purposes and values; yet this potential often remains untapped. 

By empowering middle managers with the tools, knowledge, and – most importantly – the experiences to help them engage in meaningful conversations about purpose with their teams, organizations can unlock new levels of employee satisfaction and commitment. Middle managers can act as the bridge between the company’s strategic goals and the individual aspirations of their team members. By doing so, middle managers not only contribute to a more engaged and motivated workforce but also foster a culture of purpose that attracts and retains top talent. They can identify opportunities for employees to engage in work that aligns with their personal values and goals, enhancing the sense of fulfillment and purpose employees get from their work.

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However, the role of middle managers in this context is not without its challenges. It requires a shift from traditional management practices focused solely on productivity and performance to a more holistic approach that values the individual and their contribution to the company’s mission. It demands sensitivity, empathy, and the ability to listen and connect with employees on a deeper level. But the rewards of this approach are significant, leading to a more motivated, engaged, and purpose-driven workforce. 

In essence, the untapped potential of middle managers lies in their ability to connect the dots between individual purpose and organizational goals. By leveraging their unique position within the company, middle managers can play a crucial role in creating a work environment where employees feel valued, understood, and aligned with the company’s mission. This enhances the impact of the organization’s efforts and contributes to a more fulfilling and purposeful work experience for every employee. 

Okay, but how can I showcase the value of social impact to middle managers? 

We get this question a lot. Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this one. You can fire off toolkits, informative emails, hold info sessions with key middle management personnel, share volunteer success stories – and they’ll still see social impact as a “nice to have.”  

In a recent Forbes article, Paul Anderson-Walsh, Chief executive and co-founder of The Centre for Inclusive Leadership is quoted saying, “managers may stagnate for several reasons, including skill obsolescence, limited advancement, being in a comfort zone, shifting priorities, fear of change, burnout, or a lack of vision” and that “Once frozen, managers rarely auto defrost without external influence,” he notes. “A key problem is the limiting beliefs that constrain their self-view and potential.” 

Earlier in this blog I emphasized experiences. If what Paul Anderson-Walsh says is true, social impact practitioners must think about more impactful ways to engage managers in purpose. We know that experiential learning has a ton of benefits, one of which is the opportunity to challenge those “limiting beliefs” that “constrain self-view and potential.” The focus on critical reflection and proximity to the beneficiaries of a company’s social impact programs works just as well for managers as it does for employee volunteers. Here are some options to get your middle managers on board:  

  1. Implement a “Day in Their Shoes” initiative:  
    • Partner with local nonprofits to create immersive experiences for managers 
    • Have managers spend a full day working alongside nonprofit staff or beneficiaries 
    • Follow up with structured reflection sessions to process the experience 
    • Encourage managers to share insights with their teams and brainstorm ways to support the cause
  2. Implement a peer-to-peer coaching program:
    • Train a cohort of “purpose champions” among middle managers
    • Pair champions with other managers for ongoing support and guidance
    • Provide resources and tools for champions to use in coaching conversations
  3. Integrate purpose into performance management:
    • Work with HR to include purpose-related goals in performance reviews
    • Offer incentives for managers who successfully engage their teams in social impact initiatives
    • Recognize and celebrate managers who demonstrate purpose-driven leadership
  4. Create a middle manager advisory board:  
    • Establish a rotating group of middle managers to provide input on CSR strategies 
    • Empower the board to pilot new engagement approaches within their teams 
    • Use the board as a forum for sharing best practices and addressing challenge
  5. Develop a purpose-driven mentorship program:
    • Pair managers with young leaders from underserved communities
    • Structure the program around both professional development and community impact
    • Have managers and mentees collaborate on a social impact project
    • Celebrate successes and share stories across the organization 

These are just a few options to consider. This doesn’t mean you should do away with manager toolkits or FAQs or info sessions – but they should be in addition to these more experiential options. I’ll end with a reminder that even if these options feel like a big lift, the truth of the type of work we do is that it is heavily and necessarily relational. It is about human connection, fundamentally. We cannot develop and sustain social impact programs if we are not centering and focusing our energy on people, and that includes our permission-givers in the business.  

A toolkit will not change beliefs or motivate people to behave in a different way, but experiences and human connection will. Building relationships and sustaining them in a meaningful way takes time and patience – we are not always building for what we want in the next year, but for what we want in five years. If we don’t start thinking longer term about our programs, we’ll be stuck in reactive mode; we won’t be able to focus on what matters, which is the change we want to see in the world. Manager engagement and advocacy helps create a culture that self-sustains purpose as a core value, but it will take work upfront. Don’t let this scare you. Transformation, as Robin Wall Kimmerer says in Braiding Sweetgrass, doesn’t come from wading at the edge of the water. You have to get right in.  


Realized Worth helps you take a transformative approach to volunteering. We work with companies to create scalable and measurable volunteering programs that empower and engage employees, focus on empathy and inclusivity, and align with your most important business objectives. Talk to us today to learn more!

Kelly Lynch

Senior Strategic Consultant

Recent Blogs:

Strategy & ExecutionTransformative VolunteeringWorkplace Culture

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