From Squeeze to Sync: Align the Top, Unleash the Middle
In 1999, as McDonald’s rolled out its “Made For You” kitchen redesign across the United States, the early phases were messy. Divisions pushed in different directions, schedules slipped, and store teams were overwhelmed. Then the company tightened the top-level alignment: a cross-functional board was created, shared artefacts were put in place, and a central cadence for communication and implementation was set. Progress accelerated and conversions landed on schedule, easing the load in the middle of the organisation. Contemporary reports describe the pivot clearly, including a 1999 news piece on the statewide rollout and a trade article noting the plan to equip all U.S. restaurants by year end (1)
This story is a tidy metaphor for many organisations today: when the top bun is misaligned, the middle gets squashed and capability spills.
Why misalignment crushes the middle
Senior teams often believe they are aligned, yet the signal that reaches the middle is fuzzy. MIT Sloan research found that even leaders charged with execution struggled to name their company’s strategic priorities, a warning sign that alignment at the top is not the same as clarity in the middle. (2)
At the same time, removing or bypassing middle managers in the name of efficiency weakens execution. Middle managers are the connective tissue for delivery, inclusion, and safety. Harvard Business Review argues strongly not to eliminate them; see “Don’t Eliminate Your Middle Managers.” (Harvard Business Review)
When direction is vague, middle managers fill the gaps, often creating unintended strategies that drift from executive intent. And if misalignment persists, engagement erodes. Gallup estimates low engagement costs the global economy 8.8 trillion dollars, (3). In 2024, manager engagement fell to 27 percent, dragging team engagement with it, as reported by the Wall Street Journal: WSJ. (Forbes)
The Aligned Burger Model: keep the bun, save the middle
Alignment test: lightly squeeze the top bun. If the middle squirms, your model is misaligned.
How to realign without crushing the middle
Square the top bun. Produce a one-page strategy with six quarterly priorities in plain English. Validate each against your values before finalising. The Father of Management, Peter F. Drucker’s reminder fits here: “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
Cascade without crush. Translate each priority into no more than three team outcomes, then individual commitments on a single page. Kill duplicates and non-value work. Harvard Business Publishing underscores the leverage of midlevel leaders in volatile contexts: Midlevel leaders are the connective glue of execution, positioned to sense market shifts, shape strategy, and mobilise teams with speed and agility. The Build Muscle In The Middle white paper urges firms to deliberately “build muscle” here by developing critical capabilities, applying learning to real work, and creating supportive contexts so these leaders can drive results in volatile conditions.(4)
Map decision rights. For recurring decisions, define who decides, who inputs, who is consulted, and who is informed. Publish the map. Make problem solving and decision making a standing agenda item. This limits the drift toward unintended strategy.
Set the middle-manager rhythm. Schedule a 30-minute weekly huddle, a monthly retro [review] on blockers, and a quarterly reset with the executive sponsor. Track no more than five measures per team. These simple rituals link top bun to bottom bun.
Invest in the secret sauce. Require monthly coaching conversations, skill clinics on problem solving, and peer consulting circles for managers. HBR’s guidance on the value of middle managers is clear: don’t thin the middle, strengthen it (5)
Improve communication hygiene. Every change ships with five points: why now, what changes, what stays the same, the first two weeks, where to get help. This reduces noise and raises role clarity, a known driver of engagement that links to the global cost of disengagement.
What happens if you ignore the squeeze
Capability spill: your best people are diverted to noise, rework increases, and hidden queues grow.
Unintended strategy: teams optimise locally in ways that conflict with enterprise value
Engagement drop: clarity and development decline, performance lags, and attrition rises.
Bring it back to the burger
Senior alignment is not a slogan, it is a visible chain from boardroom to front line. When the top bun sits squarely on the burger, every ingredient adds flavour and bite. Strategy, values, communication, legacy, decision rights, and the deliberate development of managers all hold together. Get that right and the middle does not have to firefight. It can lead.
Finally, keep Drucker’s line on your steering wheel: effectiveness before efficiency. There is no point in perfectly executing misaligned work.
