The complete eradication of all middle management layers is nonsense. Even Haier, the company that Corporate Rebels wrote an entire book about, still has at least three or four layers of management. Same with Nucor, the beloved American example. But four layers is very different from twelve.
I always say hierarchies are natural. We need them for abstraction. The human mind cannot cope with just an anarchy of 100,000 coworkers. No structure = cognitive overload. We want to be able to refer to teams, business units, and business groups to make sense of the world around us.
But remember the 10X Rule: when you aim to scale 10X, you'll have to reinvent everything. So, 1 manager on every 50 workers is radically different from 1 on every 5 workers. It requires a complete rethink of the company and the role of managers. For example, I've debated with people who are convinced that coaching and one-on-ones are essential middle management practices. My reply is simple: that doesn't scale. You'll never be able to get to 1 manager on 50 people that way.
"No middle managers" should be taken in the same vein as "no estimates." It's a challenge. How far are we able to get without relying on what we now have far too much of?
I know Joost and Pim. I believe that's what they mean as well.
The complete eradication of all middle management layers is nonsense. Even Haier, the company that Corporate Rebels wrote an entire book about, still has at least three or four layers of management. Same with Nucor, the beloved American example. But four layers is very different from twelve.
I always say hierarchies are natural. We need them for abstraction. The human mind cannot cope with just an anarchy of 100,000 coworkers. No structure = cognitive overload. We want to be able to refer to teams, business units, and business groups to make sense of the world around us.
But remember the 10X Rule: when you aim to scale 10X, you'll have to reinvent everything. So, 1 manager on every 50 workers is radically different from 1 on every 5 workers. It requires a complete rethink of the company and the role of managers. For example, I've debated with people who are convinced that coaching and one-on-ones are essential middle management practices. My reply is simple: that doesn't scale. You'll never be able to get to 1 manager on 50 people that way.
"No middle managers" should be taken in the same vein as "no estimates." It's a challenge. How far are we able to get without relying on what we now have far too much of?
I know Joost and Pim. I believe that's what they mean as well.