The power of horizontal management

Jeremy Blain at Performance Works International explores the principles and beliefs behind horizontal management and asks: Is this what today’s workplace needs?

Leadership and management are evolving as rapidly as the workplace and our businesses. The sheer scope and scale of the moving parts being led and managed mean that one CEO, one leader, and one manager are insufficient. 

This is paralleled by the fact that there is a narrowing of the capability gap in our organisations. Leaders and managers learn at the same rate as employees when considering digital transformation, workforce change, hybrid working, dispersed teams and the need to rapidly learn, innovate and outpace the competition. 

Therefore, unleashing the power and potential of the many is essential. This means a focus on talent with a small ‘t’; as opposed to the Talents (with a capital ‘T’) that represent the few employees identified as fast-track potential and future leaders. 

In the workplace today, there is broad capability. Organisations and leaders have been slow to tap into this potential. There is also a failure to understand the need to restructure, to allow autonomous, empowered, and fulfilling work at all levels. 

This is about adopting both a growth mindset and moving management away from supervision into performance support: coaching-led, learning-centered, and fuelling the potential of the many. 

So how are the most enlightened organisations and leaders doing this? How are they providing the platform for great support, less bureaucracy, and a flatter hierarchy to allow individual contributors to show what they can do?

It’s all about going horizontal and saying goodbye to the traditional vertical structures which have largely had their day in modern, thriving companies.

The power of horizontal management 

Horizontal management is a rapidly growing trend being adopted by forward-thinking companies of all sizes.

Also known as "flat" management, it proposes a structure with fewer middle managerial layers, refocused on performance support. It is inclusive, adaptable and collaborative with a strongly team-centred environment.

The approach aims to boost efficiency and communication while empowering everyone in the organisation. It shifts the focus of performance management from simply assessing performance to providing performance support. It encourages a more collective and collaborative approach to addressing the various challenges and opportunities present in today’s fast-paced business environment.

This transformation is not just about structural adjustments. It’s equally a cultural shift. It hinges on fostering a culture that aligns with the changes, along with implementing flatter management structures.

To usher in an era of empowerment embraced by all, we may need to break away from outdated 20th-century practices and foster a more adaptable organisation fit for the rapidly evolving digital landscape of 21st-century leadership. By the 2030s, intelligent AI will play an increasingly integral role in supporting this transition.

As we acknowledge the shifting dynamics of the workforce and modes of operation, our employees will actively bridge the gap in skills, knowledge, and behaviours required for the digital age, levelling the playing field between senior executives and individual contributors.

However, many traditional leaders and boards are lagging in adapting to these changes, facing steep learning curves to modernise their approach and stay afloat in the swiftly-evolving business landscape.

By empowering a more capable workforce, traditional leaders find relief from excessive pressure. This shift allows them to concentrate on strategic matters, as responsibility for implementing strategies is distributed across the organisation. This collaborative effort leads to heightened organisational success, with contributions from many rather than just a few individuals.

Implementing a horizontal management structural approach can unlock key benefits for both organisations and individuals. For example: empowered decision-making to facilitate swift actions and agile problem-solving; transparent communication to create a safe culture without repercussions; and multi-disciplinary collaboration to bring in varied expertise and viewpoints.

In flat organisations, leaders adopt roles closer to mentors or enablers rather than authoritative positions, ensuring teams have access to the necessary resources and are proficient at clearing potential roadblocks.

Traps in horizontal management

Although horizontal management offers benefits, it also presents challenges. As companies grow, maintaining a completely flat structure can become complex. This complexity may arise from role ambiguity, potential conflicts without a clear hierarchical mediator, and risks of inefficiency.

To tackle these issues, some companies adopt a "semi-flat" structure, striking a balance between hierarchy and flatness.

For a successful shift to horizontal management, a company needs to cultivate a cultural change, embrace adaptability, and employ effective communication tools to enhance collaboration. By granting decision-making autonomy and fostering job satisfaction, a distributed leadership model creates a supportive and cohesive environment. 

Google serves as a prime example, showing the advantages of empowering employees and embracing horizontal management practices. Google’s empowerment strategy is demonstrated by their famed “20% time” policy, which lets employees allocate a fifth of their time to personal, passion-driven projects. Numerous Google innovations, including Gmail, have emerged from this approach. Additionally, the company champions open dialogue, flatter management structures, team synergy, and a congenial workspace.

The evidence is clear: unlocking the full potential of a truly empowered workforce through distributed leadership and horizontal management is both a journey and a revelation. It demands a bold spirit of experimentation alongside clear guidelines and organisational structures that foster a culture of empowerment and support.

Jeremy Blain is the multi-award-winning Chief Executive of Performance Works International (PWI) and co-founder of the social enterprise DiversITy-talent. His new book, Unleash the Inner CEO, is the perfect read for leaders and organisations looking to unleash and empower their unique potential

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and megaflopp