Major change programmes don’t fail because the plan was wrong; they fail because people were left behind.
Senior leaders may feel the urgency of delivery, but for those further down the hierarchy, the dominant feeling is uncertainty. Or worse: fear.
Too often, public sector transformation is treated as a technical process: a matter of structures, systems, and statutory deadlines. But beneath the spreadsheets and governance charts sits the true engine of change: people. And in the case of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), no group is more critical, or more overlooked, than middle managers.
This blog explores why the people side of change is so frequently sidelined in large-scale reform, and what that means in the context of LGR. Drawing on psychological models and real-world research from across local government, we look at the emotional reality of reorganisation, the pressures faced by middle leaders, and the ways in which better support could make or break the success of a new council. Spoiler alert: middle managers don’t just matter. They’re the glue. The translators. The culture carriers. If we want change that lasts, we need to start with them.
Why the “People Side” of Change Gets Left Behind
In every major transformation, there’s a temptation to focus on the tangible. Leaders ask: What needs to happen by when? Who owns the workstream? Have we hit the deadline?
These are important questions, but they crowd out the messier, more human ones: How are people coping? Who feels threatened? What stories or myths are filling the void where communication should be?
In local government, this is particularly acute. The instinct is to be pragmatic, to push through, to get things “safe and legal”, especially when the clock is ticking and public services can’t be paused.
But psychological safety rarely makes the cut on a Gantt chart. No one’s asking whether middle managers feel secure, supported, or equipped to lead their teams through ambiguity.
The result? A growing disconnect between strategic intent and day-to-day experience. People start to operate in survival mode. Rumours fill the silence. Emotional labour goes unacknowledged. And the cultural fallout lasts long after the new structures are in place. With LGR we have the added complexity of merging different cultures, teams, and processes - all with groups wading through the same shifting sands.
Why Middle Managers Are the Cultural Glue
Middle managers don’t sit neatly in a hierarchy — they bridge it. They translate strategy into delivery, calm teams during chaos, and carry the emotional fallout of every decision made above them. They are not just doers; they are interpreters, buffers, role models, and therapists. And in a process as complex and prolonged as LGR, that burden only intensifies.
When the senior leaders record their videos, or deliver all-team sessions, it’s the middle managers who are there when the boss leaves. They get the ‘real’ questions, the true feelings, and the actual fallout.
In the theatre of LGR, senior leaders may be writing the script. But middle managers are directing the cast, and it’s their teams who are expected to perform-all while building the stage and learning their lines on the fly. Without them, nothing lands.
And yet, in most change programmes, they’re an afterthought. Leadership development focuses on the top; engagement activities target the front line. The people holding the entire structure together are left to figure it out as they go.
It’s not just unfair. It’s a strategic mistake.
Middle Managers Carry the Emotional Load. Let’s Train Them for It.
If middle managers are the human infrastructure of LGR, then we need to treat them like critical assets. The psychological toll of reorganisation is real. Middle managers are expected to hold others steady while managing their own uncertainty. They absorb the anxiety of their teams, the ambiguity of the process, and the shifting expectations of senior leadership — often without formal support. Over time, that creates burnout, disengagement, and silent resistance to change.
Targeted training can change that.
Done well, it gives middle managers a shared language for what they’re experiencing. It helps them spot the emotional signals in themselves and their teams — the withdrawal, the performative compliance, the spikes in stress. Training cohorts of people experiencing the same reality provides a psychologically safe space; it builds practical tools to respond constructively, not reactively. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds them that they have a role, not just in implementing change, but in shaping how it lands.
We’re Already Doing This — And It’s Making a Difference
We’ve designed and delivered bespoke training for middle managers navigating LGR — and the results speak for themselves. Developed by experienced public sector leaders and organisational psychologists, our sessions create a rare space for reflection, practical learning, and connection.
Participants tell us it’s the first time they’ve felt seen in the process.
We focus on recognising the psychological impacts of reorganisation, building personal resilience, supporting teams through ambiguity, and strengthening cultural leadership in uncertain times. It’s grounded, real-world, and deeply relevant.
If your council is going through LGR, we’d love to talk.
Get in touch if you want to equip your middle managers with the tools, insight, and confidence to lead through change — not just survive it.
