The trinomial of chaos in hierarchical structures

It is a fact that companies with highly hierarchical structures are tending to disappear, more and more organizations are looking for autonomous operations through flatter client-oriented structures, however, and until this process of transformation takes place in the matrix of each one of the companies that provide goods and services to the different niches of an increasingly opened  global market, corporations must devise ways to maintain the right human talent at each step of the pyramid, overcoming the three most common threats within this model whether or not they are aware of their existence.

These three threats are a fact, in different degrees, in most of the large pyramidal structures and wherever they become evident, palliative measures are beginning to be applied, but  unfortunately these measures only weaken the effect of one of the flagella generating instantaneously the appearance of some other members of the trinomial.

The basis of any strategic model is the recognition of threats, and although each term that makes up the trinomial that affects hierarchical structures is likely to be familiar to most readers, it is still useful to point them out to understand the way in which they interact with each other.

The Social Comparison Nonconformity is a fundamental part of human nature and becomes more evident in the measure that the environment exposes us to interactions with members of our near circle who obtain greater benefits by their stage in the company than us. A kind of selective blindness makes us perceive the differences in revenue and to omit the existing gaps in dedication, experiences, knowledge or capabilities, which give rise to the best benefits, this in the cases where these gaps really exist, is not the reason for this articulate the deepening in the cases where the best positions within the organization do not respond to meritocracy.

The Need for Recognition Belts in the martial arts emerged in response to the human need for recognition. Like the ranks in an army, in the organizational hierarchies the members of each team expect recognition for their differentiated effort. If excellence is not recognized or rewarded, there is a risk that it will disappear. After all, What is the objetive of investing more effort or talent in a task if it will not bring a profit? Not recognizing excellence is similar to reward mediocrity, however, the real problem arises when the main way to reward this overcoming attitude is an economic recognition or a promotion because this generates two great male. On the one hand, similar to how salivation appeared in his dog every time than Pavlov rang the bell, the demand for a fit will appear whenever an extra ordinary effort is required, and on the other hand, in case it is chosen to promote at the outstanding talent, it runs the risk of affecting the third and last variable of the trinomial.

The Peter Principle, this principle holds that in hierarchical structures the most competent people are promoted until they reach their level of incompetence. As a consequence the bases of the organization are full or inexperienced, too new in the organization people or  people with an average performance without possibilities of overcoming. On the other hand the the middle command positions are filled with people who have reached their level of incompetence and who either require greater support (increase of base staff) to fulfill their objectives or worse, do not fulfill their objectives and as a fruit that is it passes from mature end up falling from the tree.

As you can see, in a highly hierarchical structure there is no quick way to escape of being affected by one or several of the variables of this trinomial, the solution goes through a true transformation process, where on one hand levels of the pyramid are eliminated , reducing to the maximum the social comparison and, on the other hand, turn the pyramid, giving the lowest levels of the structure the importance that deserves the most densely populated sector of any company and which usually has the most direct contact with our customers. In the meantime, it is advisable to work on responsible policies for recognition, to avoid excessive differentiations and to implement frequent maintenance on the branches of the tree that pass by watering the young leaves and removing the driest ones.