Harvard Business Review

APRIL 1, 2014

A healthcare industry sales executive recently told us that as part of a continued effort to cut costs, her company had reduced the number of first-line sales managers from 66 down to 30 over a period of several years. The average span of control for U.S. Managers may micromanage their people. People management.

Span of Control 8

Span of Control Company Merchandising Management 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 2, 2014

Not long ago my colleagues and I studied the cost of adding a manager or executive, and we found a kind of multiplier effect (see the graphic below). When you hire a manager, he or she typically generates enough work to keep somebody else busy as well. Take into account, however, that different jobs require different spans of control.

Cost 10

Cost Span of Control Management Bureaucracy 10

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 23, 2016

This leaves operating managers, the ultimate “consumers” of talent, to choose between two talent acquisitions methods (or “sourcing channels”): Either engage HR to acquire employees or engage Procurement to acquire contingent workers. Educate leaders on how and why to optimize a blended workforce.

Strategy 8

Strategy Span of Control Finance How To 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

In traditional hierarchical organizations, managers direct the work of subordinates and thereby ensure alignment with broader organizational goals. Spans of control are limited to a reasonable number — typically eight people or fewer — so that managers can effectively oversee their subordinates’ efforts.

Agility 8

Agility Innovation Span of Control Objective 8