📉 The Great Flattening

Companies worldwide (especially Big Tech) are cutting middle management, forcing remaining managers to oversee increasingly larger teams — a flat structure. But does it work?

Let's look at a Gallup study: the average number of subordinates in the US has risen from 10.9 (2024) to 12.1 (2025). That's almost 50% more than in 2013. 97% of managers are "player-coaches." They spend 40% of their time on individual contributor tasks. If the team grows while this workload remains...

Useful Insights
🔼 If you give feedback to team members at least 15-30 minutes once a week, it boosts team engagement regardless of size.
🔼 In teams of more than 20 people, productivity heavily depends on connections between team members. If there's no connection, the team will fall apart.
🔼 Those who spend more than 40% of their time on their own tasks effectively manage only small groups (up to 5 people). Gifted managers maintain drive even with 25 subordinates.

Team size is not as important as management quality. You can effectively lead 12 people (twice the median of 6) if the manager is talented and not overloaded with operational tasks.


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