Encyclopedia of Leadership

In addition to considering the time-span and breadth perspectives of hierarchy, today’s

organizations also try to keep the number of management levels to a minimum (to keep their

hierarchies as flat as possible).

HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL

“There is wisdom in the old proverb of the Roman law that a slave who has three masters is a free man. It is a

very old principle of human relations that no one should be put into a conflict of loyalties—and having more

than one master creates such a conflict.”

—Peter Drucker, “MANAGEMENT’S NEW PARADIGM,” FORBES

You may find using time span and breadth an intriguing alternative to the more traditional job

evaluation and description methods of linking compensation categories to jobs. Advantages of

using the notions of time span and breadth include:

✔ They emphasize thinking longer-term and more broadly.

✔ They get around issues related to amount of turf and number of reports that have tra-

ditionally been troublesome in determining compensation levels.

✔ They lend legitimacy to employees who may have no reports and a small budget, yet

are expected to think long-term and widely.

✔ They provide a way of thinking about leadership levels that transcends organizational

functions and disciplines.

WEB WORKSHEET

Suggested uses of the following matrix:

1. The process of clarifying an optimal hierarchy is always iterative. Use the matrix pro-
   vided earlier as a guide.


2. Jot in the typical What?(results), by when (time spans), and the breadth of decisions.
   Then estimate the appropriate responsibility level. Note typical examples. These will be
   helpful in explaining how you arrived at a given responsibility level for each role.


3. You will almost certainly need to rework this matrix a number of times before you get
   the groupings clear.

106 SECTION 4 TOOLS FORDESIGNINGPRODUCTIVEPROCESSES ANDORGANIZATIONS

In the range of 1 to 5 years.

In the range of 6 months to 1

year.

In the range of 2 to 5 years.

Up to 1 year.

Up to a few weeks.

Must understand and deal with all internal impacts and out-

side impacts in functional area.

Must understand and deal with immediate internal impacts

and outside impacts in functional area.

Must understand and deal with all internal impacts and out-

side impacts in professional or specialty and functional area.

Must understand and deal with the immediate impact of

their work.

Must understand and deal with the immediate impact of

their work.

Mid-level leader

Frontline leader

Senior professional

Junior professional

Frontline nonprofessional