Eliminating hierarchy within the company, or at least reducing the separation between employees and management, is what flat management, or flat organization, is all about.
The way companies operate is constantly evolving. Today, with cross-functional communication or the bottom-up method, employees are listened to more.
They also participate in the business’s decision-making process, which optimizes their involvement and thus their motivation.
Flat management is one of the new management methods emerging in some companies. It consists in reducing the hierarchy to a minimum.
Each employee has greater freedom of speech and action. In particular, they can organize their work as they see fit and really get involved in the running of the company.
In a company that applies the flat management model, relations between the executive and the executors are easier and more direct. There’s no precise definition of flat management, as each company applies this method in its own way. However, this form of management must have two main characteristics:
- Transparency: to implement a flat management strategy, everyone needs to know what’s going on inside the company. Similarly, since the lines between the various employees are blurred, everyone has a say in decision-making. However, it is vital to create a climate of trust and to pool all observations before making a decision.
- Goodwill: to ensure that everyone can express themselves freely and calmly within the structure, a benevolent atmosphere must be created. Remarks can be made without judgment, and feedback must be given to keep all people working for the company up to date with company events.
When this type of organization is implemented within companies, the flat management method can provide a number of advantages such as the following:
- greater employee involvement in company projects;
- greater motivation, thanks to the empowerment of all company players;
- greater creativity on the part of employees;
- smoother, more authentic communication;
- faster, more agile decision-making; and
- reduced management costs.
Although vertical hierarchies predominate in most organizations, a growing number of companies are embracing flat management. This organizational method may seem simple enough for small teams, but it can be a major challenge for large groups.
