Do you need just a brief moment with your supervisor? These days, securing that time has become increasingly elusive. The modern corporate landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, as organizations—both sprawling multinational enterprises and nimble smaller firms—are deliberately eliminating layers of middle management. This ongoing restructuring is often justified in the name of reducing inefficiency, shedding what executives describe as unnecessary organizational ‘bloat,’ and cultivating faster, more agile decision-making across broader divisions of the workforce.

The paradox, however, is that in making these systems leaner, the burden placed on the remaining managers has grown significantly heavier. Those who remain in supervisory roles now find themselves responsible for substantially larger groups of employees than at any time in recent history. Research conducted by Gartner, a leading advisory and data analysis firm, highlights this striking shift with precise metrics. In 2017, the median managerial span of control was one manager for every five employees. By 2023, that ratio had ballooned to one for every fifteen employees, a threefold increase in less than a decade. And even more tellingly, the trend is not plateauing—it continues to expand, as firms consistently push for broader structures and flatter hierarchies.

The result of this evolution is a workplace in which individual workers inevitably receive less personalized attention, mentorship, and career guidance. With managers stretched across far-reaching responsibilities, the chance to engage directly, seek tailored feedback, or even simply schedule a brief private conversation with a superior has become scarce. The very design of this emerging corporate order prioritizes scale and efficiency, but it does so at the expense of one-on-one leadership dynamics. As Gartner’s data suggests, the trajectory is clear: in today’s economy, the role of the boss is transforming into that of a high-capacity overseer rather than a close personal guide.

Sourse: https://www.wsj.com/business/boss-management-cuts-careers-workplace-4809d750?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f