– Transition from Middle Management to Senior Mgmt!

This is an issue that worries everyone … and forms part of the “Mid Life Crisis” argument! We all deal with it.. are we going to make that transition or just remain where we are – in the middle rungs – for the rest of the life? Here is some thought from Management Recruiters International (MRI) site.

Managers who aspire to senior positions have less than six years to make their way up the greasy pole before being labelled as ‘career’ middle-managers, with managers in the UK given less time to make the grade than those in the US.

By the sixth year at middle-management level, most companies in the United States have already decided whether a middle manager has senior-level potential or has become a “career” middle manager, according to a new study from search and recruitment firm Management Recruiters International.

In the UK, however, this timeframe is even more accelerated, with most middle managers only having four years to advance to the senior level.

The study, which interviewed 200 Human Resource directors or senior executives in the US and 200 Human Resource directors or senior executives in the UK, also determined that “career” middle managers are seen as critical to the success of the company.

On average, a middle manager remains in the same position for 6.3 years before being promoted to senior management in the US while in the U.K., middle managers will spend an average of 4.7 years at that level before being promoted.

However if employees do not make the jump to senior management within that same time period, most surveyed companies said they would be considered “career” middle managers.

And after six years in middle management, the opportunities for advancement to the senior level are greatly reduced in both countries.

Middle managers who aspire to senior positions need to carefully evaluate their career choices at this time, MRI advised, including the possibility of moving on to a new company, to determine how to best meet their goals.

One reason for the accelerated timeframe for advancement in the UK may be the fact that middle-management candidates are more pushy when inquiring about the potential for career growth during the interview process than their counterparts in the US.

On average, almost six out of 10 UK candidates will ask about opportunities for advancement, while only four out of 10 US candidates will do the same.

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