Birgitta Sjöstrand - OUTSTANDING in the MIDDLE: How Middle Managers Make the Difference

OUTSTANDING in the MIDDLE

First published in 2020 by

Panoma Press Ltd

48 St Vincent Drive, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5SJ, UK

www.panomapress.com

Book layout by Neil Coe.

All the images are by Katarina Sjstrand

978-1-784524-76-0

The right of Birgitta Sjstrand to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.

This book is available online and in bookstores.

Copyright 2020 Birgitta Sjstrand

Dedication

To Fredrik, Katarina, Sofia and Oscar, who are
always lovingly there for me.

Its a very easy read and it sums up everything a middle manager needs to know and practise in order to successfully navigate different roles and responsibilities and, above all, people management. For me, its a go-to book for middle managers, as it covers a full range of topics that would normally take days of classroom or face-to-face training. It has very useful content with very relevant stories and examples, and I would say its a must-read for everybody who wants to give their best in challenging middle management roles.

Andrea Kovai, marketing manager (Adriatic), Electrolux

A very useful book with many hands-on examples helping you become a better leader.

Heinz Wester, senior partner, Cornerstone International Group

In the complex mission to lead others, you need to know your motivations and skills, your team and their function, your tools and needs. While a leadership book isnt hard to find, time is. So, I strongly recommend Birgittas latest book, in which you can find all the information and the answers you need to be the best and lead the best team you can.

Camilla Uddman, head of all primary and elementary schools in Tby kommun

This book suited me to a T as it covers everything from hormones to awareness of who you are and the actual processes involved in working with people in different structures. A guide to understanding all the aspects and processes needed for successful management and leadership. Highly recommended.

Adele de Waard, retirement home manager, Sigtuna kommun

A useful guide for middle managers in all operations.

Linda Skoglund, head of LSS Unit, Health and Care Administration, Alingss kommun

This book is perfect for reading about personal development and understanding group dynamics, regardless of your position in the organisation.

Emma Westerberg, Skandinaviska kreditfonden AB

The book is inspirational and significant, and it is easy to absorb the information and exercises.

Maria Olsson, manager business system support, Siemens Healthcare AB

A complete book that gives the reader insight into what it is like to lead a workgroup, with many tips on how you as a leader can change the dynamics of the group. Filled with practical examples and suggestions for action plans. I can really recommend the book to all types of managers.

Christina Larsson, chief financial officer, Nord DDB Stockholm AB

My heartfelt thanks to my husband Fredrik and our children Katarina, Sofia and Oscar for always believing in me and supporting me in my personal growth, training, speaking, coaching and writing.

An energetic thank you to friends and family for pushing me when the procrastination hits.

A very special thank you to all my clients: middle managers, specialists and others. I learned so much from you during training and coaching. With warmth in my heart, I can say many of you also became my good friends.

A sincere thank you to my teachers in the mental training world and NLP community: Lars-Eric and Elene Unesthl, Eva Karlsson, Ingalill Vestman, Ulrika Dahlin, Magnus Kull, Kjell Enhager and Bert Feustel.

A special thank you to Shelle Rose Charvet, who has been a role model and gave me so many insights as I worked my way up to master trainer level in the LAB Profile.

Thank you to all my peers and friends from the National Speakers Association Sweden and International NLP Trainers Association for support and mentoring. I would especially like to thank Mia Liljeberg, who has always been very generous with her time and knowledge. I appreciate you very much.

Thank you, Heinz Wester, from Cornerstone International Group, for feedback on the book and for giving me insights into careers for international top middle managers.

To everyone at Panoma Press, thank you especially Mindy Gibbins-Klein, for making the hard work of writing a book easy and fun. Thanks for the support of the group who wrote their books at the same time I cant wait to read them all. Many thanks to the publishing team: Emma Herbert and Alison Baugh.

Thank you to all my former managers, peers and colleagues. I have learned a lot about what to do and what not to do, both equally important.

Outstanding in the Middle is designed for middle managers who want to take a step back and think about how and why they do their work. Birgitta Sjstrand has worked with many leaders over the years, showing them how to integrate the learnings from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), language and behaviour profiling (LAB Profile) and other fields directly into their work.

She starts with mindset because managing what we think, feel and believe is critical to achievement, particularly when the world is like shifting sands beneath our feet, as we face pandemics, a degrading environment and global political crises.

Knowing how to distinguish what is important from the merely urgent is key for a managers performance, especially since it is too easy to just keep doing what you usually do. This book helps you identify priorities.

You will also find out how your unconscious mind, properly instructed, can help save you time, develop creative solutions to problems, and stop you from making mistakes.

There are lots of practical tips for managers who want to improve how they manage people, how they use time, how they run meetings, handle conflict and manage change.

The appendices contain activities that you can do with your teams and by yourself to guide your thinking and your actions.

Reading Outstanding in the Middle will help you on your journey to be the best manager ever.

Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Words That Change Minds

(listed by Forbes in 2019 as one of the best management books for entrepreneurs and executives)

After working with middle managers for more than 15 years, it was time to write this book. The middle manager is often squeezed both from the top and the bottom. They have to perform and execute their managers ideas and implement change. I work with managers who want to be great leaders and role models to their employees. Just as a stone ripples the water, a role model leader reaches families through their staff and makes the world a better place.