Do You Still Say, “Span of Control”?

More importantly, are you relevant to others?

If you’re old enough, “span of control” used to mean something. Leadership positions were often measured by their spans of control, the number of direct reports they managed.

But I can’t remember the last time I heard someone talk about a leader’s span of control.

Here are some potential reasons why:

• First, because of the Great Recession, 2 leaders soon did the work that used to be done by 3.   So spans have increased dramatically, and thus have become less meaningful.
• Second, a leader’s focus is not on “control”. Whitewater change is the norm these days.  It’s much more about navigating and keeping your head above water.
• Third, titles have become less significant.  Yes, they have some connection to pay grade.  But do your work and your accountabilities neatly line up with your title?  Forget it.  And the same is true for the leverage titles used to provide. Today that leverage is much more diffused.  Which brings us to the fourth point.
• It’s not about “control”; it’s about relevance, as in being relevant to your peers and your direct reports.  Today, people respond less to their manager’s or colleague’s title than to their relevance, as in, “Are you relevant to my work?  And are you relevant to me as an individual?  If not, I’ll do the work, but not the commitment.  It’s simply work for hire.  Nothing personal, it’s just business.”

So here’s a quick non-scientific test to see if you have relevance at work:

• If you asked for help from your peers, would each come through for you because they wanted to?
• When you’re away from work, do people notice, beyond the empty chair?
• Do people seek you out before starting a group meeting without you?
• If you were in the hospital for 2 weeks, would colleagues make the effort to visit you?

So how’d you do? Any tweaks needed in your approach to leading?