5 Reasons Why Middle Management Slows Down Innovation

Innovation is crucial for the growth of any company, yet only 17% of innovation projects are successful. One of the main reasons for this is the aversion to innovation by middle management. In large companies, middle managers are responsible for decision-making and are often conservative in their approach. They focus on short-term results and fear losing their job if an innovative idea fails. Loss aversion also plays a role and middle managers tend to stick with proven strategies rather than risk failure with new ideas. Additionally, the lack of diversity in hiring can hinder innovation as middle managers tend to hire those who conform to their conservative approach rather than those who could bring fresh ideas to the company.