This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Near-term Future of Global Travel

The Herman Trend Alert August 8, 2000 Span of Control 143 Days until January 1, 2001 Are things getting out of control in the way we manage today? No, but there are significant changes in management philosophy. For decades, business students at our universities have carefully studied the science of management, including such issues as span of control. The concept deals with how many people a manager or supervisor can control and still maintain productivity and discipline. (For our younger readers who may not have studied this topic, those words may be somewhat uncomfortable, but for many years the words "management" and "control" have been synonymous. In some types of work, requiring closer supervision, a span of control of 1:5 may have been appropriate. This ratio means that management scientists believed that one could adequately oversee the work of five other people, no more. If the supervisor had to assume responsibility for six people, for instance, quality and performance would suffer. In other kinds of work, where people could work more independently, a ratio of 1:10 or even more might work. Recently, we've noted substantial changes in the concept of span of control. While we are still concerned about controlling quality, performance, efficiency, and other aspects of how people work, we are less dictatorial about the process. We've shifted to more monitoring than control at the supervisory level, equipping workers with methods to measure and control their own performance. We've pushed accountability down in many organizations, though some employers still have some work to do. The mode now is more support, than control-some professors now describe the concept as "span of support". Workers are becoming much more independent. Life values have changed, encouraging people to assume more responsibility and accountability. Work values have changed, as well, encouraging more focus on individual worker performance and less on supervision. Labor shortages, streamlining, and changes in corporate philosophy have reduced the number of managers and supervisors, further supporting a wider "span of support." As workers become more collaborative and there is less need for direct supervision, especially controlling, watch for the ratios to change even more. Managers will be charged with more support and coordination and less regulation. Comments from our readers: Just a thought for you -- as we looked at spans of control recently here at my company the whole notion of matrix management was factoring much more heavily into the mix -- i.e., what if someone has only 5 direct reports but has a virtual team of 15-20 or more? To me, the virtual teams/matrix management issue is one of the most significant organizational design changes, making the old ways of thinking about spans of control obsolete. jenn © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." ARE YOU READY FOR THE RECOVERY? Most employers are unprepared. The recovery next year will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336.210.3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION If you are not using pre-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! http://www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Now announcing an opportunity in Africa (Ghana). E-mail info@EmployerOfChoice.com for more information. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. 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