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More Than Words
Moving from vertical to horizontal organizations means bigger changes than terminology.
In Is it time to retire the title of manager? Adam Bryant tentatively suggests dropping the word ‘manager’. Here’s why:
Here are three reasons why the time has come for manager to be added to the corporate do-not-play list:
1. No one really wants to be managed anymore. The notion of management conjures up its unsavory close cousin, micromanagement, and sends signals that people need to be kept in the box of their job description. For millennials, at least, workplaces are seen more as networks than as hierarchies. These employees are more likely to seek out the people they need to work with, at any level, to get their work done. Managers who are frustrated by anyone who doesn’t work through proper channels will simply be seen by millennials as a bad user experience. And in this era of low unemployment, they have plenty of other options.
2. No one really wants to manage other people anymore. Yes, there are still a lot of people who get a rush from the power of their title and enjoy the thrill of telling people what to do. But the best employees don’t need to be managed — they need guidance, because they’re already self-motivated and brimming with ideas.
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