El Professori

Span of Control

Definition:

Span of control (also called span of management) refers to the number of people directly reporting to the next level in the hierarchy. (McShane & Von Glinow, 2015, p. 374)

Summary:

The article, Span of Control- 5 Things Every Leader Should Know, explains the authors view on of the most important aspects of this element of organizational structure. Mike Myatt talks about the significance of context, understanding, the missing link, time management and trust as being the most valuable asset of all. He explains that the span of control should not be viewed as merely the number of people reporting to a manager.

Discussion:

The article states how the thinking behind the span of control is somewhat misconstrued and that there are important elements that can help with this type of structure. Myatt elaborates on how people are undervalued in this type of set up within a company. He also states that there needs to be the ability to create the right team dynamics, no matter the level of leadership that is being discussed. (Myatt, 2012, pp. 3) The article focuses on the idea that span may not stand for stretching the control one has over the people that report to them.

I found this article very insightful in regards to my typical work environment at my current employer. It would appear to me that my director thinks that having control is more important than any sort of collaboration or contribution to the task at hand, which is the opposite of what Myatt states in his view. “Smart leaders strive to achieve the proper levels of influence and awareness by increasing the right activities in order to attain the right outputs – this happens better through collaboration than by control.” (Myatt, 2012, pp. 5) Myatt speaks of the context of this type of structure and how if the appropriate skills are not within the person then it can be detrimental to them. I can see how that would be true considering my experience with my director who just today preferred I used a calculator with a ribbon rather than an excel document to make calculations. “The commonly accepted definition of span of control is as follows: “the number of subordinates directly reporting to a leader/manager.” For what it’s worth, I really dislike the term and find it to be outdated at best, and destructive at worst. I prefer the more inclusive term constituency management.” (Myatt, 2012, pp. 4)

The other points that really hit home in this article would be the emphasis on time and trust. My boss rarely has time to sit and actively listen for more than five minutes, to anyone. It is often frustrating and is widely known in the company. As for the trust, there is no idea better than her own. When someone comes up with a time saving idea or procedural enhancement that could benefit the company as a whole and presents it to the department she is the first to reject it but has a hard time convincing anyone why. The ideas are then tabled and written down, never to be addressed again. Working for someone with the struggles that Myatt references as challenges of this type of structure really hit home for me. Have any of you worked for someone that fit this organizational structure type? What would you do if everything you have tried, including going to human resources has only made things worse? For my personal day to day challenges with this situation, I often refer to the serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

Or I refer to the simpler, Psalm 29:11 11, “The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” I am often frustrated by my predicament but I know that God has a plan for me and my school work helps me achieve that goal. Even though I do have a management experience I am learning so much more by reading articles like this about what not to do and what not to lose sight of.

References

Myatt, M. (2012). Span of Control- 5 Things Every Leader Should Know. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/11/05/span-of-control-5-things-every-leader-should-know/#19d8d5b21e36

McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M. (2015). Organizational Behavior (7th ed.). Retrieved from http://connect.mheducation.com/connect/hmEBook.do?setTab=sectionTabs