Developing plateauxed managers

The problem

Firms are becoming more effective and efficient. They are responding to global competition, relatively slow growth and demanding customers. They are removing layers of management and creating flatter structures. Flatter structures reduce communication costs and speed up progress.

Flatter structures reduce the opportunities for managers to progress vertically through the hierarchy. These "vertical" careers that most people hope for, are becoming rare. Many managers equate vertical career progression with status and their sense of value at work. If they can't get this, they may opt out or become negative.

At least three other career patterns are possible. The figure below summarises them.

Career Pattern	Description	Benefits to the Individual	Benefits to the Organisation
Vertical	Progress through a hierarchy.	Understood, provides rewards of status and salary.	Easy to manage when there are opportunities.
Lateral	Doing different jobs in different parts of the organisation.	Learning, marketability, good development for general management.	Breaks down inter departmental barriers. Develops high-fliers.
Detached	Doing jobs in many different organisations.	Learning, interest, broadening horizons.	Breaks down inter company barriers. Encourages an outward-looking culture.
Inner	Developing oneself as a person, living ones values.	Happiness and satisfaction	Challenges the organisation to think profoundly

The last three patterns are possible within flatter structures.

I believe that our common expectation of "vertical" careers is not innate. It had a function to build loyalty to an employer for life. Most managers of around 45 to 60 years have their "vertical" expectation enforced strongly at school, higher education and in their early career. "Work hard at school and then you will get a good job with good prospects!" When they don't get what they expect, they get angry, bitter and may switch off. This is understandable.

Finally, society and many organisations discriminate against older people. It is often unconscious but just as hateful as racism and sexism that most of us condemn. Ageism has an outer component when organisations exclude older people from objective consideration for selection or promotion. It is even more damaging when we start to believe the nonsense that society says about us. "I am no good because I am 45. I just have to keep my nose clean and then I can retire."

If organisations don't deal with this issue they will become stuck. Hopelessness is contagious as fed up people discourage others especially when they manage people.

One alternative is to create a more liberating organisation. The organisation would foster the growth and development of everyone. This does not mean going back to the old multi‑layered organisation.

The organisation would liberate the talents and energy of its older employees by: -

Everyone is rigid to some extent and finds some things difficult to learn. If an older person finds say learning to use some software difficult, then the junior person could help. Mutual development can be very creative for both. You are building teams of two.

There would be energy and excitement because everyone is involved in learning. This atmosphere and the freer communication would lead to you developing new products, services and ideas more quickly. The organisation would be more flexible and balanced. Your best people would stay. You might even find new products to sell as you think more about the needs and feelings of older people.