Counting Leaders and Communicating “Sideways”

Organization totals give us a frame for the whole. All executive and line manager positions are identified throughout the hierarchy from the bottom-up. Not so incidentally, this simple information and the associated lists of people and addresses enables a powerful “sideways” communications strategy to complement the current cascade model
   
Total Positions along the reporting pathways to the top job are internal parts of the whole referenced by the root, membership that defines the “boundary” of the organization network. These are the “insiders” to which external nodes can be hitched to fill out the working organization
8 Degrees: Org Net
Traditionally, an organization is communicated to in a cascade from level to level, top to bottom, losing info in each step
All Managers, defined as positions that have positions reporting to them. This totals also constitutes the network of interlocking 1-degree management groups. There are, of course, managers at every level, except the last level
2 Degrees: Manager Net
Reach the network of managers directly, and you directly reach the entire organization in one more step--sideways
Line Managers are the network of tactical leaders of work groups and staff that are directly getting stuff done. Line managers mediate between the work reality faced by their staff and the goals set by strategic leaders. These are the people who really know what’s going on
2 Degrees: Line Net
Reach the line managers and you have the trusted channel directly to the people doing the work
Executive Managers are the network of strategic leaders of sub-organizations of 3+ levels. As managers of managers, they are part of the symbolic superstructure that constitutes the organization’s operating model instantiated in the org chart. This is the cadre that must understand how external realities, the strategy, and the operating model come together in a continual process of producing results and adapting to change
3 Degrees: Exec Net
Reach the execs with a motivating strategy, and you are within 2 degrees of engaging the entire org
   

 

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