What is Better, A Middle Management Position in A Big Organization Or Senior Position in A Small Company?

Being a middle manager is the real deal! It is a daunting position yet a highly important one. It’s a transitional role, where you are now responsible for a bunch of subordinates but are also under the scrutiny of your superiors. As scary as this position might be, you are expected not to lose your vision and squeeze the best out of yourself and your team.

You may be confronted by a choice to opt for the kind of organization you want to work for, it could be a start-up or a large corporation, however, these are two experiences worlds apart. The comprehensive structure, functioning and organization of the two establishments differ to a substantial degree and that’s what makes the experience of these two so extraordinary yet unique from each other.

Dig deep into these organizations from the following lens and find out what suits you:

1. Responsibilities and Expectations

In a start-up, middle managers are expected to have and do it all. As a jack of all trades, you might be asked to tackle different tasks simultaneously, contribute in several departments and change roles and responsibilities as the need arise. An action-driven and problem-solving approach are what your workday would be clouded in.

At a large corporation, things are more stable since you have a well-specialized team working for you. When a new issue emerges, the people responsible for that particular department will put the pieces of the puzzle together, while you would be guiding within the limitations of stern expectations and rigid boundaries.

2. Approach and Structure

A start-up follows a working model which lacks appropriate process, systematic operation and structured strategies. You might sometimes find yourself on thin ice and bent out of shape since you have to keep on trying until you finally crack the code and make hard and fast decisions. Although, the exposure will be immense with broad knowledge of different operations but it might bury you in the mud of vagueness and ambiguity.

At big organizations, a well-established, highly specialized and strategized model is put into play where every decision is well designed, reviewed, planned and executed with the help and hard work of various departments. The decision-making is more structured, methodical and efficient.

3. Overall contribution and impact

Since a manager in a start-up becomes the heart of the company, you are actively involved in outlining the roadmap of the project/product and lead the way to success. Your impact and contribution is deep because the lines of hierarchy are blurred and you have fewer people to convince which inevitably makes you the sailor of the ship and this further creates a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

In a large organization, you are a small fish in the ocean. Since you are answerable to the seniors and are bound by strict standards, your overall contribution might be restricted to a single portion of the overall project/product. Cross collaboration with other managers and officials might make your significance less apparent and celebrated.

Here are the pros-cons for your position in both the set-ups:

Advantages of being a middle manager

In start-up:

• With abundant space to grow and learn, you are bound to evolve as a sharp cookie.

• With less bureaucracy/hierarchy, work atmosphere becomes causal which promotes efficient brainstorming sessions and open communication.

• Flexibility enables you to adapt to changes and get opportunities for innovation.

In a large organization:

• More experienced role models and mentors to learn from and collaborating with specialized teams with clear vision, gives good exposure.

• Offers stability and certainty in terms of pay and other benefits along with a less chance to get laid-off, out of the blue.

• Having specialized departments performing their assigned tasks, working regular hours makes your work days predictable and persistent.

Disadvantages

In start-up:

• You have to find your own direction, search for mentors/inspiration from outside the company and execute tasks within the framework of a limited budget.

• Your position might be wrapped in the ball of uncertainty in light of no job security and low pay along with constant threat of falling in the ditch due to one small misstep.

• Constant need of changing duties, chewing more than you can swallow and having eyes in all directions make the workday long and workload heavy.

In a large company:

• Less scope of progress since many workers work on a single project which makes it difficult for one person to stand out.

• The work routine is drowned in strict codes and norms. This might discourage innovation, creative thinking and individual involvement.

• Growth is slow and gradual.

Both small and big organizations stand on two ends of the bridge but work along the lines of offering insights, values and endless opportunities. Which is better, a small or big organization? The answer isn’t plain but is rather personal. The world is your oyster and it’s for you to experience. Only you can decide what aligns with your values and will help you reach great heights.

The article is authored by Abhishek Joshhi, the Executive Coach and Development Expert