After the trends of The Great Resignation and quiet quitting that marked the labour market in recent years, 2024 is introducing the concept of The Great Unbossing. This trend is changing the way organisations function and how they manage employees. By reducing the roles of middle management it promotes cooperation and empowerment of employees. It brings new challenges and opportunities for innovation in the work environment. Does this trend mean a wave of resignations for middle managers or is it just a minor change that increases the number of innovations in the work environment?
Can we increase freedom and efficiency by reducing hierarchy?
Unbossing is a business management strategy that involves reducing or eliminating the traditional hierarchical structure within organisations. Instead, the focus is on autonomy, self-management of teams and equality among employees. The idea is to provide employees with greater responsibility and freedom in decision-making, which can lead to increased creativity, innovation and efficiency.
Driven by economic uncertainty and technological advances, more and more companies are adopting unbossing to reduce bureaucracy and empower employees for self-management. Technological progress through automation and artificial intelligence has taken over many tasks traditionally performed by middle managers, thus reducing the need for their intervention.
When we talk about new technologies and the changes they bring, we cannot ignore how much they have influenced the young generations who are just conquering the labour market. In addition to growing up with social media and skilfully handling digital platforms at work, Generation Z understands that thanks to technology, they can work almost anywhere at any time Therefore, they prefer more flexible work environments, but also those with less hierarchy and a greater degree of independence and personal responsibility. Thus, middle management may seem to become redundant in the organizational structure.
In addition, the reduction of hierarchy and bureaucracy increases the autonomy of teams, so they can react more quickly to changes in the market and bring innovative solutions without going through complex hierarchical procedures. Unbossing enables more direct communication between employees and senior management and makes the organisation more efficient. This shift from micromanagement to empowerment is based on mutual trust between employees and management.
Decision-making authority is distributed within the organisation, encouraging the contribution of employees at all levels based on their unique insights and expertise. Within an organisation that practices unbossing, leaders act as coaches or facilitators, instead of traditional authority figures. Their primary role is to support the teams, provide guidance and remove obstacles that could disrupt progress.
A tool for attracting talent and cooperation between generations
Organisations that embrace unbossing often have a strong sense of purpose and clear values that guide their actions. This common purpose motivates employees and aligns their efforts towards common goals. Modern workers, especially Millennials and Generation Z, place a high value on autonomy and purpose. Therefore, unbossing can attract top talent and reduce employee turnover by creating a more purposeful work environment. By adopting the principle of unbossing, employers can build more resilient, dynamic and successful organisations and reduce costs. For example, United Parcel Service announced savings of over a billion dollars by laying off 12,000 managers, and Citigroup plans to eliminate 20,000 positions, reducing the number of managerial layers from 13 to 8.
Can we do it without middle management?
However, reducing the role of middle management has some challenges. Namely, the implementation of unbossing can limit the possibilities of professional development of employees. They may feel like losing access to the mentoring, training, and skill-building activities traditionally provided by middle managers. In addition, the absence of middle managers can sometimes worsen hierarchical dynamics. That is because employees may feel they have fewer channels to voice concerns or have less influence over decisions.
Middle managers are very familiar with the operational work of their teams, so it is clear that employees rely on their support. In addition, middle management usually gives immediate and accurate feedback, so employees rely on them in their work, especially in crisis.
Middle managers are in direct contact with employees and through regular 1-on-1 conversations can clarify the company's goals and strategy to their team members, check employee satisfaction and current needs, and address all challenges the team faces promptly. That is why middle management remains a key link in building a feedback culture and developing the organisation and all its members.
Continuous building of the most important skills
Key skills that middle managers must develop to survive and thrive in times of unbossing include emotional intelligence, communication and adaptability. Emotional intelligence and communication are extremely important for building strong interpersonal relationships and managing teams without a traditional hierarchical structure.
Given that unbossing emphasizes the importance of autonomy and self-management of teams, managers with a high level of emotional intelligence and developed communication skills can more successfully motivate and support their teams by creating a positive work environment. Unbossing brings constant changes in the work fields and management, which is why the ability to quickly adapt to new conditions, processes and technologies allows managers to remain relevant and effective despite the changes.
Human resources management as a structured support
In the context of dynamic changes in the labour market, many companies rely on consulting organisations specialized in human resources. HR organisations help them navigate these changes, offering expert guidance, training and support to develop the necessary skills of middle managers. DNLA, the most renowned questionnaire for discovering potential, can help with this. As a leadership skills questionnaire, it is designed to discover and develop natural abilities that are key to business success and is used to gain a more complete insight into employee qualities.
Unbossing represents a significant change in the way organisations are managed, eliminating traditional hierarchical structures and empowering employees through autonomy and equality. Although this approach can bring certain benefits such as increased efficiency, innovation and motivation, it also requires careful implementation and development of key skills among managers. To successfully develop these skills, use their full potential and stay up to date with all relevant trends, it is useful for managers to join the SELECTIO Leadership Academy. That is one of the best ways to learn how to effectively manage modern teams and become true leaders.
