Today we learn about so that domestic companies have to follow Google's flat management.
When it comes to flat management it must be said that the traditional pyramid management model, which is the management model adopted by many companies, most employees in the lowest level, constitute the base of the pyramid, the higher up, the higher the level, the less people . CEO or chairman of the board is generally pyramid spire.
We look at a common picture of the regular communication, this example is former Google CEO Eric Schmidt in "Redefining company," described: Imagine a 20-storey building, you stood on the balcony of the 10th floor on. Each layer with increasing the number of floors diminishes. The top of the building there is only one person, and the bottom of the building is full of people. Now, imagine that you are standing on the balcony, you people upstairs to call you something, also dropped to several documents. You catch documents, returned to the house division of labor is on the 9th floor staff follow the instructions, you cautiously endorsed the focus of the attention they need. Then, you return to the balcony, leaving a few tables downstairs and a few paragraphs to your team. People downstairs devoured with your file, after reading, in turn, will this "comment" repeat the ceremony, people passed on the 8th floor. This story is not it make you feel deja vu? This is the way most companies the flow of information. Traditional pyramid pattern, a long transmission path, the intermediate information is easily deleted.
Having traditional pyramid model, we look at what is flat mode. Flat management model, by definition refers to the organizational structure and flat, flat, little organization and management level, information collection node less. And Google is a very representative of flattening company can be said to be a super flat Companies: Rank system is very simple, even if you are a graduate, but you seen in the organization chart, you actually find yourself away from the CEO not far away. At the same time, this is not simply a flat level architecture, but also created a culture of equality in the company.
Small companies, then, the number of small, easy to do; for with 80,000 employees Google, can do that, it is not easy. So, Google is how to do this it? First, in the management rank. In order to reduce the inherent human tendency to seek classification, Google is trying to remove the display of symbols of power and status, for example, in Google only four clear division of levels: general staff, managers, supervisors and executives.
Secondly, on Google's corporate culture. Flat management is more intuitive, everyone alike. Even if you are vice president level, it was in a corner of the office has a desk. But is also the founder of two shared an office, as CEO, but also has a small office only. Google in this dimension, greatly narrowed the gap between a CEO and general staff within the company.
In addition, such a flat management culture is also reflected in the details of the meeting. Here, you can then recall that participated in the meeting. I bet most people will sit in the position of the general level of the head of the conference table. Do you think that because they come early, so accounting for the best locations? Does not seem right, even if they come late, participants will also deliberate's first of empty seats. Our subconscious mind's move reflects the hierarchy. No instructions, no discussion, not even conscious thought, we will be as "superior" to stay out of position.
And some of the senior leadership within Google also noted this phenomenon, after the incompatible aware of this phenomenon with the implementation of the company culture flat, in order to break this state, the meeting, they will opt to sit down conference table one side of the intermediate, the upper vacant.
Third, reflected in the communication and decision-making. Google employees think, complicated consultations, reporting, would lower the efficiency of the company, they think of traditional management system more harm than good to the company. And flat to ensure the accuracy and speed of information upload issued, the company's strategy can be quickly and accurately transferred to the employee level.
You may have heard such communication principle: You may understand the classical model of communication, information transmission through the less level, the possibility of distortion in the process of passing the more small. Google target management using a OKR, reason why it can achieve excellent results in Google, also benefited from the company's flat architecture. So when the strategic development of the company, from top to bottom by the model only through 2-3 layers, you can reach the level of the staff, while staff also has not been heard screening, sorting information. Of course, in addition to the top-down transmission of information is very effective, bottom-up, too, in Google, employees can quickly convey sounds to the management, short-term problems can be taken seriously and addressed.
I was in the United States on business, often go to Google vice president of global human resources office will talk. Sometimes reflect some local special needs, sometimes there is no theme, which is small talk. He is a very approachable manager, high emotional intelligence. Because China is far away from the headquarters, the headquarters sometimes our situation is not particularly understand, when he and I talked about the situation in China, every time he listened very carefully. For him, nothing more than listen to the voice of the situation from the Chinese colleagues a better understanding of the Chinese.
And when you need to make a decision when such a flat architecture enables decision-making process shorter, faster. Even if there is a need for approval, because less hierarchical, up for approval soon. I have to do in business consulting, also seen some companies, when grass-roots workers have some good ideas, good ideas, they will report to the manager in accordance with company procedures, reporting to the manager and then senior managers, senior managers find time Director to report again, as well as vice president, director of the above. As long as there is a middle part of the program managers feel there is a problem down the question when communication began to turn down. Eventually you will find this program to report to report, for a long time to not have the vice president there. Even if one day finally communicate to the vice president there, through layers of interpretation, the program has already missed the best decisions aging.
Finally, there is the talent management and the development dimension. In the gold business management model, management and employees are passive recipients and complete the task, lack of initiative, personal growth cycle is longer. The flat organizational structure implicit in the assumption of human nature, that is, people all have the desire to "self-realization" of. This hypothesis holds that people in addition to the needs of society, there is a desire to fully demonstrate their ability to play their own potential desire. Flat management, the line managers must directly face the market, management and decision-making organization and management personnel and a higher requirement. Employees relatively equal status, each person's sense of responsibility is the same. At the same time, simple management structure, less management, but also help to improve staff efficient execution.
Due to manage a big margin, employees have greater autonomy, motivation and satisfaction. This point has been greatly reflected in Google. Some managers with ten to twenty people, so usually rely more on staff management initiative, self-awareness. Managers do a good job as long as the key points of the control, the rest is decentralized to the staff to play. Google has always said, "We only hire the smartest people," I will not speak here is not really our employees are the most intelligent, but it does come in various industries are very good people. If these people came after relying on the traditional kind of think outside the box to be unable to retain a management approach, and secondly, can not stimulate their potential. Flat management approach, given these "wise men" sufficient freedom and space to display their fists. Similarly, open, open environment is also conducive to Google continued to attract more talented people to join.
There are a Google employee, when he was a rookie, his manager to let him boldly embarked on a cross-functional project team and is responsible for the formation of the project team goal-setting, planning. In this way, let the new members soon learned that operation of the company and the project team quickly established a sense of responsibility. In the project, which employees show great leadership and coordination. When the project ended, the employee has been entrusted with the task, sent to Europe to take on new projects alone, his career is on a new level.
To summarize: the flat management transmit messages faster, more accurate, faster decision-making process, employees will have more space to play autonomy and initiative.