With Fewer Bosses, Employees Can Be More Accountable
I’m troubled by a Wall Street Journal article that warns about flattening organizations and implies that “servant leaders” will cease to exist. Instead, this may be an opportunity for managers to lead and for employees to be more accountable and to rely on AI and teammates for support.
Management jobs are declining, so managers have more direct reports—like the old days, when jobs were more task than skill/knowledge oriented. Although the authors stress a lack of management attention (“Your Boss Doesn’t Have Time to Talk to You”), a Bain study identified 10-15 direct reports for “best-in-class” organizations. Typically, knowledge workers and executives are on the lower end.
I remember working at Reuters and having between one and three direct reports. Many of us did, partly to appease those who wanted inflated titles to put on our resumes. With more direct reports, managers can actually lead, rather than be “working managers.”
The WSJ writers worry that managers don’t have the skills to lead large teams, but these skills can be developed. Managers can learn to be leaders—delegating and supporting rather than monitoring. The writers lament managers’ ability to know personal details about their employees, but employees can get those feelings of connection from their teammates.
Assuming expectations are reasonable, employees may learn to have greater self-accountability and take more ownership. Managers can encourage project team work, as software companies have been doing for years. When employees feel more autonomy and control over their jobs (foundational research) and control over their time, they feel more satisfied at work. Organizations also might develop a better succession plan into leadership positions, with employees taking on management functions earlier in their careers. In addition, particularly in a tight job market, employers can hire for initiative and motivation.
This continuum, adapted from Craig Redding, identifies ways to increase self- and other accountability (from Chapter 2 of Business Communication and Character). Managers will continue to use different styles (Situational Leadership) depending on each employee’s needs, but larger spans could lead to more command-and-control styles, with managers relying on coercion as a short-cut. Styles will be interesting to track over time.
Something the article doesn’t mention is that today’s knowledge worker has AI as coach, supporter, and problem solver. When used well, AI should relieve some traditional management responsibilities.
The writers state,
Bosses touted themselves as “servant leaders,” guiding a company through collaboration and humility, and creating an environment where younger employees felt comfortable to be their true selves. Many millennials expected bosses to know their birth dates and to make time to hear a recap of their weekends.
To me, that last bit has little to do with servant leaders. (Disclosure: I have online professional courses as part of an eCornell certificate on the topic.) Yes, bosses encourage and model collaboration and humility, but the rest employees can get from their coworkers, from themselves, or from outside of work. Servant leaders inspire employees to do their best work, which means taking responsibility and relying on their teammates and available resources.
Source: Craig Redding, “Increasing Accountability,” Organization Development Journal 22 (2004): 65.