Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an eye-opening piece: “Your Boss Doesn’t Have Time to Talk to You.” It highlights a trend reshaping today’s workplace: to flatten their organizations and somehow speed up decision making and action, they are cutting layers of management and dramatically increasing the number of people each manager oversees.
At first glance, this makes sense. Fewer layers promise faster decision-making and leaner operations. But the ripple effect is something every employee and leader should be paying close attention to.
The New Reality: Managers Are Overloaded
According to the journal, the average span of control—the number of direct reports per manager—has grown from about 1:5 in 2017 to roughly 1:15 in 2023 (and I imagine that number is growing). That’s a threefold increase in just a few years.
Some of the larger players like Google, Amazon, Intel, and Estée Lauder have all trimmed middle management. Others, like Bayer and Axon, are experimenting with more autonomous team structures where employees operate with less supervision and managers act more like coaches from afar.
While these changes may save costs and streamline operations, I am more concerned with what this means on the human side of the story:
- Managers feel stretched thin, juggling more people than they can realistically mentor.
- Employees find it harder to get 1:1 attention, feedback, and development opportunities.
- Career growth risks slowing down—not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of visibility.
Why This Trend Is Alarming
As someone who works with young professionals and those on their journey to become Transformational Leaders, I find this concerning, as I see significant issues for both groups.
- Less Access to Guidance – Early-career employees often rely on managers for coaching, clarity, and encouragement. When leaders are overloaded, those development conversations fall by the wayside.
- Burnout on Both Sides – Employees may feel unseen or unsupported. Managers, meanwhile, risk burnout as they try to manage more people with the same number of hours in a week (and likely more responsibility).
- The Talent Pipeline at Risk – If fewer managers are available and mentoring is limited, organizations could face a shortage of well-prepared future leaders.
- Culture and Belonging Suffer – Trust, psychological safety, and inclusion often depend on managers being present and available. When availability drops, so can engagement and retention. This is an area that also impacts young professionals and their wellness in the workplace.
What to Do if You’re a Gen Z or Young Professional
If you’re early in your career, the lack of face time with your manager can be discouraging. But here are ways to thrive in this new environment:
Seek Mentors Beyond Your Boss – If your manager doesn’t have time, look elsewhere. Build relationships with colleagues in other departments, join employee resource groups, or seek professional communities online. One mentor can’t do it all—spread out your support system. You can learn more in our course Beyond Day One: Essential Skills for Professional Success
Be Proactive About Visibility – Don’t wait for your manager to notice your contributions—make them visible. Send a weekly or biweekly update email highlighting progress, wins, and blockers. Keep it short and results-focused.
Come to 1:1s Prepared – If you do get time with your boss, bring a list of focused questions, updates, or asks. A 20-minute check-in can be incredibly impactful if you guide the conversation.
Document Your Impact – Keep a running list of your accomplishments—projects finished, problems solved, results achieved. This “brag sheet” will serve you well in reviews or promotions.
Practice Self-Advocacy – Learn to confidently speak about your goals and achievements. In a flatter organization, those who advocate for themselves often move ahead faster.
What to Do if You’re a Manager or Leader
If you suddenly find yourself managing 12–15 direct reports, the old way of working—frequent 1:1s and close supervision—won’t scale. Leadership isn’t about heroic multitasking; it’s about building new systems.
- Use Group Touchpoints – Weekly huddles, office hours, or rotating hot-seat sessions maximize your reach.
- Leverage Written Communication – Shared docs or dashboards let employees log priorities and progress without adding meetings.
- Protect High-Value Conversations – Even if not weekly, make time for quarterly development discussions.
- Delegate and Empower – Assign senior team members to mentoring or project leadership roles.
- Guard Against Burnout – Prioritize ruthlessly, delegate, and use tech (AI scheduling tools, trackers) to scale without burning out.
What This Means for Organizations
At the organizational level, the “delayering diet” can be helpful—but only up to a point. Cut too deep, and you risk starving the very pipeline of leaders who keep a company going long-term.
Smart companies:
- Set guardrails for span of control by role type (what works in sales may not work in R&D).
- Invest in manager enablement—training, tools, and support systems.
- Track leading indicators of trouble: engagement, retention of early-career hires, and manager burnout rates.
The Bottom Line
The workplace is changing fast. Managers are busier than ever, and employees can no longer rely on regular, personalized coaching.
For young professionals, this is a call to step up—be visible, proactive, and intentional. For leaders, it’s a challenge to build new rhythms and practices that keep teams engaged without burning out.
The good news? With clarity, communication, and intentional effort, both sides can thrive—even in a flatter, faster, leaner workplace.
✦ Call to Action
Are you in one of these environments? How are you adapting? Share your strategies below—I’d love to hear what’s working for you.
