My senior manager has 15 direct reports and won’t change!

Dear Aunty B,

I have a direct report who has 15 people reporting to him. (I run the whole company and I only have four direct reports of which he is one.) It drives me nuts because I can never get any time with him. His phone rings incessantly, he does a lot of work on spreadsheets and people are always in his office.

I have told him to get a manager but he keeps hiring juniors, that he can handle it and that he is saving money by not hiring managers on lots of money.

He is a good manager and we are growing fast so things are a bit crazy. But I need more time with him. How do I get him to change his structure?

What about me?
Victoria

Dear What about me,

Well, quite frankly he is a dill. Smart managers spend most of their time managing up. That means working with you on strategy, the big picture and execution, not sitting in his office staring at a computer with a mobile hanging off his ear.

You should be chasing him out of your office, not beating down his door to get an appointment. There will be roadblocks around that office as people wait to have a decision reviewed or approved. Those 15 people need time with their manager and will delay making decisions simply because their manager can’t get back to them.

What you need to do is sit him down and explain that as a company grows the business has to evolve decision-making. The company has to continue to break up into smaller units that have a manager who understands the company vision and values and can review decisions and manage the staff. Productivity is therefore much greater, the culture stronger and morale better, as people can work to maximum performance.

One thing you may want to consider: does the manager fear someone being better than him? Some people who refuse to build smaller teams love control and hierarchy because they are insecure. They can often be fearful that someone might show them up or want their job. Explain to your manager that when he breaks his team into smaller units, he can hire a great manager who will make him look better!

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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