Mastering the Shift to a Less Hierarchical Organisation

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 

𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 

𝐍𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐲. 

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲.

The buzz around flattening organisations is undeniable. Lots of people talk to me about it, but the real question is: 

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧?

.. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥? 

The ability to design and evaluate these kinds of organisational structures (and transitions towards them) is becoming a critical skill for leaders and HR professionals.

I thought this article from Eric Anicich, Michael Y. Lee, and Juan Pablo Sánchez Celi via HBR was a great read into the challenges of moving towards a less hierarchical model. I highly recommend it!

Here are the key highlights that resonated with me:

💡 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐑𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐫-𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞" 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Leading in a flatter organisation requires a fine balance between providing guidance and developing autonomy. It's an "intricate dance" of being a visionary while calibrating influence.

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐙𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: I thought this description was pretty apt. The ghost of traditional hierarchies can linger, hindering genuine decentralisation. “To truly flatten an organisation, it’s not enough to build anew; one must also actively dismantle and guard against the resurrection of the old.”

💡 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: Bridging the gap between different parts of the organisation during varying speeds of decentralisation is crucial. Incremental changes and integrating decentralisation principles can aid in a smoother transition.

💡𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: Amidst numerous organisational changes, distinguishing between decentralisation-related initiatives and others is key. Clear and consistent communication is vital in managing overall organisational stress and understanding its impact on employees.

For a deeper dive into these topics and much more, check out the full read here: https://lnkd.in/dQdwj9aB