Flat Hierarchies Are a Lie
Many companies proudly proclaim the “flat hierarchy” employees get to enjoy. “You will report directly to the CTO!” they tell the junior engineer during the interview.
But what does flatness actually mean? And why does it appear to be so important?
What “flatness” really is about
Silvia Botros writes that even though some companies, small or large
[…] may claim or even believe that they are not encumbered by the politics of titles and organizational hierarchy but that simply means that the power structure is there and implied and not based on clear milestones or competencies either.
That doesn’t need to be a bad thing. It just means that flatness can actually mean a lot of different things to different people. And the lack of structure or the size of an organisation are not useful metrics to gauge that. But then what is?
In his book “Managing Humans”1, Michael Lopp describes a more useful mental model that doesn’t consider the number of layers in an organisation, but power distance (“Can you walk up to your CEO in the hallway?”) and distribution of accountability (“Is decision-making power pushed as far down as feasible?”) among the staff. For example: a single-layer org with a CEO calling all the shots is not flat; a large multi-layered org that visibly acts on feedback from any employee can be.
These examples should make it immediately visible why flatness matters. Everybody wants to feel heard. And being accountable for some parts of the whole directly connects to the fundamental need of feeling valued. Everybody wants to have an impact.
So, how can we deliberately create or maintain flatness in an organisation? Doesn’t this naturally evaporate when organisations grow?
How to maintain flat organisations
Power distance is a cultural thing, yes. But you can always nudge culture.
It starts with hiring. When you’re hiring managers, make it part of your interview rubric. “Tell me about a time when feedback from one or more indirect reports changed your opinion on an issue.”
Beyond that, it could be as simple as setting up skip-level 1-1s. If that would be too time-consuming because your org is too large, turn them into team lunches. The dynamics will be different for sure, and you can pick and choose depending on what signal you’re looking for.
Depending on your office situation, have an actual open door. Or go and leave your leadership corner and sit next to your employees. Ask your directs for feedback (you’d be surprised how often managers appear to forget that) and treat it as a gift when they do. Most importantly, act on it. That doesn’t mean you have to jump on every issue. But consider taking the time to explain why you chose to not do something. That’s fine too.
In order to distribute accountability, you must analyse how roles & responsibilities are defined in your organisation. One thing that worked in my teams was separating the roles of Tech Lead and Engineering Manager, because it distributes decision-making power. Your mileage may vary.
As a lead, consider delegating parts of your authority to someone else without a formal role change. Not only is this a great way to slowly get someone ready for a promotion, but it also empowers teams and team members, and can help to foster a stronger sense of ownership. If you don’t actually let go of the delegated authority, it can easily backfire and have the opposite effect.
Botros points to a third dimension: upward mobility. You don’t have a flat organisation if people hit a glass ceiling. This begins with the definition of a clear career map. Without a documented, transparent career map, “implied competencies are easily coloured by personal bias.” Managers who don’t document expectations hire and evaluate based on tribal knowledge. This quietly concentrates power — a flat claim that is actually hierarchical by default.
Framed differently, “Pretending to lack structure tends to create hidden power structures resulting from the nature of human communication.”2
So how do we identify actually flat organisations?
Interviews are a two-way street. Next time someone tells you their organisation is flat, ask them what that means in their company. Ask who makes decisions, and how. Ask whether there’s a career framework written down somewhere. Ask about the last time an engineer’s feedback changed a leadership decision. If any of those answers are vague, you’ve found your hidden hierarchy.