Scrap complicated management structures

There is an interesting discussion going on at Tom Peters Blog about modern management structures.

I worked my whole career until 2 years ago in a heavily ‘managed’ system - the National Health Service. There have always been numerous ‘layers’ of management in the NHS and two years on from leaving that environment I am convinced most of those layers are unnecessary.

My Simplicity principles give away my style - this is how I see it;

Simplicity Tip Number 1 - Staff at the front line know ALL the answers ALL the time.

Simplicity Tip Number 2 - If managers have a job at all in 2006 it is to make it easy for front line staff to do their job with freedom.

Simplicity Tip Number 3 - Give all the money – YES ALL THE MONEY to front line staff

The logical conclusion from my principles means giving more responsibility to front line staff and managers having to justify their existence.

In my experience, the staff at the front line are almost always frustrated by management processes that are designed, it seems to me, to prevent front line staff showing any responsibility, imagination or creativity.

I am not calling for anarchy – although sometimes it feels that way. Surely we have moved away from a ‘heavily managed’ world in any sort of business setting in 2006.

Give people at the front line the power – PLEASE!!!