Thinkers have for decades regarded middle management as a form of necessary evil. Only a few seem to see any real value in their existance. Myself, I've always been weary about middle management. Today I feel ever more certain that they will disappear – or their employers will.
My recent trip to the Bay Area gave me even more fuel to these thoughts. I've had conversations with lots of savvy people and no one seems to argue against this hypothesis:
Middle management will decrease and eventually disappear in most organisations due to:
- New social media and information tools make middle managers' information carrying and interpretation role more or less obsolete.
- The cost of middle management will be ever more heavy to bear for any company in a competetive environment. Who will have customers that are willing to pay for a layer that doesn't add apparent value?
- A more knowledgeable, network-oriented and creative workforce doesn't need as much hands on management as before. They hate meddling fools that get in the way of the real work.
//jan