FLATsparency

Organizations tend to fall somewhere along the continuum shown below...

FLAT   <<<   --------------------------------   >>>   HIERARCHICAL

The further to the right an organization drifts, the following attributes seem to take a firmer hold:

• Decision making is siloed toward the top and in the hands of a few.
• Communications run predominantly downward.
• Messages and Intent get filtered, and muddified, through multiple layers. 
• Commitment and Attention at the lower levels diminishes.
• Customer DISsatisfaction increases (both internal and external).

What about FLAT organizations, you may ask? The opposites of those bulleted items above begin to predominate.

What to do??? We can often influence our organization toward FLATness. If we can't, it's time to look for a different organization to contribute to.