Death to Corporate Hierarchy

"Hire smart people and then get out of their way." Simple, right?

Were it simple we would never hear stories of the micromanaging executive who stifles the creativeness of employees by assigning them a title and places their talents in a box. (Or in some offices a cubicle.)

It's no secret that micromanagement has the destructive power to kill a team's creativity, drive people to quit, and negatively affect the physical and emotional health of everyone involved - Then why do so many executives resort to this management methodology?

• Inexperience?
• Fear?
• Insecurities?

These factors could be pieces of the problem, but in my opinion micromanagement is the by-product of an archaic corporate hierarchy comprised of under qualified executives and powerless employees.

To better understand, Imagine you're a Director and you hire a Sales Manager who also has an extensive background in marketing. This sales person consistently delivers quota and soon becomes a reliable member of your team. Over time this individual catapults your company into industry monopoly.

"Create a culture where people work with you, not for you."

However sales begin to plateau and you cannot seem to reach total dominance of your market. Unsure of what to do you consult with your sales team. Your Sales Manager says that the issues are not with sales but rather with marketing - the product is being advertised ineffectively. He presents an idea that changes the way your product is perceived by consumers.

The idea, although compelling, was halted. Your Sales Manager's role is to sell, not create marketing campaigns. He returns to his role and sales continue to plateau. Over time, you're overtaken by your competitor who eventually runs you out of town - by the same marketing campaign that your manager presented.

So what is the issue here?

• The Product?
• The Process?
• The Person?

No.

Roles and Titles.

Shackles that exist because at some point in our history someone decided it was necessary to establish roles/titles to maintain corporate structure. In old business it was imperative to have a hierarchy as employees were much more myopic in their careers.

You know the story - they acquired jobs, worked 9-5, earned a promotion and retired. These people are also known as "lifers" people who have no place in today's world as employees are spending less time with one company and more time with a variety of companies.

Titles and roles run the risk of stunting growth and stifling creative energies. The same energies that grew some of the world's largest companies.

Out of the box thinking is required to take the necessary risks that builds great organizations. Look at what Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak did with Apple - They worked out of a garage and created the most daring technology of their time. Do you think they had roles? No, they were building an organization based on a shared vision. So what happens today?

Well, people often join a company with a defined corporate structure of Presidents and Managers but fail to ask:

"Who came before them?" Different Presidents and Managers.

"And before them?" More Presidents and Managers.

"Well, who came before them?" Founders.

These founders didn't listen to the rules. Instead they formed companies without titles and thrived on shared opinions in marketing, sales and development.

What these founders understood was the minute you assign a role, you segment creativity and divide talent. There is nothing worse than a bright mind being restricted by an archaic title and obsolete business practices.

While with a previous employer, I called a meeting together and offered advice on how to improve a certain department within the organization. After the presentation my manager said "If you want to work for that department I will gladly transfer you." This manager didn't acknowledge my ideas as valid, because it was not in my job description.

My president only saw that I was dissatisfied not that I had a desire to improve the totality of my business. Because of this, I never approached him with new ideas or concepts.

The lesson behind my story is to create a culture where people work with you not for you. The minute you begin to blur the lines between employee and executive you will breed a generation of future founders within your organization. But If you lose sight of the care and vision that built your company, you will lose sight of the cornerstones of success planted by its founders.