Middle managers are frozen by information overload, costing companies millions

July 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Information overload is a paralyzing problem, especially for middle managers.  Not only are managers often squeezed between a rock and a hard place, they also are stuck between their inboxes and outboxes.  They receive direction and information from the top, along with requests and input from their direct reports, causing an information traffic jam.  Across industries, managers struggle to prioritize and move projects forward.  They are frozen, and email is a major contributor to the overload these middle managers feel.

The 2012 Email Perception Study commissioned by The Grossman Group & LCWA Research Group found that in addition to information overload, middle managers are most affected by emails that are irrelevant to their work – costing them an average of 100 wasted hours a year (and their companies, upwards of 1 million dollars annually).

Additionally, two-thirds of middle managers surveyed and half of employees experience issues from using email outside normal business hours, including:
•  Work-life balance challenges
•  The fear of missing relevant information
•  Stress from checking email

To get the facts on the freeze and the fix, check out this info graphic (http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/frozen-middle-infographic) – Defrost the Frozen Middle – which further explores the cost of email overload and its effect on middle managers.

ATTN MEDIA: For expert commentary from leadership and communication expert David Grossman, or to learn more about individual and organization-wide solutions to work-related information overload, contact: Kayla Ellsworth, 312.850.8211, kellsworth@yourthoughtpartner.com.