The average middle manager ain't pulling his/her weight

What is the ideal job role for a middle manager? What should they legitimately be doing?

Look, there are inherent challenges to being a middle manager: it's the only role where you have to manage in two directions. Executives don't really manage up (maybe to their Board) and rank-and-file employees don't manage down. So a middle manager is pulled in many directions, sure. That needs to be acknowledged.

But the overall picture is pretty grim.…