How to Manage Span of Control Effectively

As a manager, one of the most critical decisions you'll face is determining the number of people you can effectively oversee. This is known as your span of control, and it plays a crucial role in your team's performance, morale, and overall satisfaction. In this article, we will delve deeper into the concept of span of control, exploring its definition, significance, calculation method, and how to find the ideal span for your specific circumstances. Additionally, we will examine the five distinctive managerial archetypes, each representing a different approach to team management based on varying spans of control.

What is Span of Control?

Span of control is the number of subordinates or team members that a manager or leader oversees. It is an important aspect of designing an organizational structure, as it affects the communication, coordination, and decision-making processes within the organization.

Span of control can vary depending on the level, function, and type of the organization. For example, a CEO may have a larger span of control than a middle manager, because the CEO has more strategic and visionary responsibilities that require direct involvement with the functional leaders. A sales manager may have a smaller span of control than a production manager, because the sales manager has more diverse and complex tasks that require more guidance and support from the subordinates. A flat organization may have a wider span of control than a hierarchical organization, because a flat organization has less layers and more empowerment for the subordinates.

Span of control can also be classified into two types: narrow and wide. A narrow span of control means that a manager has few subordinates reporting to them, usually less than 10. A wide span of control means that a manager has many subordinates reporting to them, usually more than 10. Each type of span of control has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation and the context. We will discuss these in more detail in the following sections.

Narrow Span of Control

A narrow span of control means that a manager has few subordinates reporting to them, usually less than 10. A narrow span of control implies that the manager has a high level of control and supervision over their subordinates, and that the subordinates have diverse or complex tasks that require more guidance and support. A narrow span of control can have advantages such as more feedback, more quality, and more specialization for the subordinates. However, it can also have disadvantages such as slower communication, higher costs, and more bureaucracy for the organization.

A narrow span of control is suitable for situations where:

• The manager has limited time and capacity to oversee many subordinates.
• The subordinates have different skills, roles, and responsibilities that need to be coordinated and integrated.
• The tasks are challenging, uncertain, or risky that need to be monitored and controlled.
• The quality and accuracy of the work are critical and need to be ensured and verified.
• The feedback and coaching are frequent and necessary for the subordinates to improve and develop.

Some examples of narrow spans of control are:

• A surgeon who leads a team of nurses, anesthesiologists, and technicians in an operating room, and supervises their actions, instructions, and outcomes. The surgeon has a high level of control and supervision over the team members, as they have different skills and roles that need to be synchronized, and the tasks are complex and critical that need to be performed with precision and care.
• A teacher who teaches a class of students, and guides their learning, assessment, and progress. The teacher has a high level of guidance and support for the students, as they have different abilities and needs that need to be accommodated, and the tasks are challenging and uncertain that need to be explained and clarified.
• A lawyer who represents a client in a court case, and directs their strategy, evidence, and arguments. The lawyer has a high level of oversight and control over the client, as they have different interests and goals that need to be aligned, and the tasks are risky and unpredictable that need to be prepared and defended.

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Wide Span of Control

A wide span of control means that a manager has many subordinates reporting to them, usually more than 10. A wide span of control implies that the manager has a low level of control and supervision over their subordinates, and that the subordinates have similar or simple tasks that require less guidance and support. A wide span of control can have advantages such as faster communication, lower costs, and more empowerment for the subordinates. However, it can also have disadvantages such as less control, less feedback, and more stress for the manager and the subordinates.

A wide span of control is suitable for situations where:

• The manager has enough time and capacity to oversee many subordinates.
• The subordinates have similar skills, roles, and responsibilities that do not need much coordination or integration.
• The tasks are simple, routine, or standardized that do not need much monitoring or control.
• The quality and accuracy of the work are not critical or can be ensured by other means such as technology or peer review.
• The feedback and coaching are infrequent or optional for the subordinates to perform or develop.

Some examples of wide spans of control are:

• A factory manager who manages a team of workers in a production line, and provides them with the resources, tools and instructions for the production process. The factory manager does not closely supervise or instruct the workers’ work, but rather empowers them to follow the standard operating procedures and quality control measures.
• A call center manager who oversees a team of customer service agents, and provides them with the training, scripts, and feedback for the customer interactions. The call center manager does not directly monitor or intervene in the agents’ calls, but rather empowers them to follow the best practices and customer satisfaction metrics.
• A store manager who leads a team of sales associates, and provides them with the goals, incentives, and recognition for the sales performance. The store manager does not directly manage or influence the associates’ sales, but rather empowers them to follow the sales strategies and customer loyalty programs.
  

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Why is Span of Control Important?

Span of control is important because it affects the effectiveness in managing the company. For example, it impacts flexibility and communication within the organization. When the span of control is wider, communication flows more quickly between levels, enabling faster decision-making. In addition, organizations have fewer layers, so messages take less time to get from the lowest level to the top level or vice versa. On the other hand, when the span of control is narrower, communication flows more slowly between levels, resulting in slower decision-making. In addition, organizations have more layers, so messages take more time to get from the lowest level to the top level or vice versa.

Span of control also affects workload and delegation. When managers have more subordinates to manage, their workload is heavier. Thus, managers should delegate more because it is impossible to rely on themselves to make all decisions. Instead, they take part in more strategic aspects. Meanwhile, subordinates play a role in making less essential decisions. Delegation can lead to job satisfaction, as subordinates feel the manager trusts them, encouraging them to perform better. It can also lead to constructive feedback and better collaboration between them. Conversely, when managers have fewer subordinates to manage, their workload is lighter. Thus, managers should delegate less because they can rely on themselves to make most decisions. Instead, they take part in more operational aspects. Meanwhile, subordinates play a role in following instructions and executing tasks. Delegation can lead to job dissatisfaction, as subordinates feel the manager micromanages them, discouraging them from performing better. It can also lead to less feedback and less collaboration between them.

Span of control also affects organizational performance and efficiency. According to research by Harvard Business Review, “the CEO’s average span of control has doubled over the past two decades, rising from about 5 in the mid-1980s to almost 10 in the mid-2000s.” This indicates that CEOs are taking on more responsibilities and seeking more direct involvement with their functional leaders. However, this also means that CEOs need to balance their time and attention among their multiple reports and tasks. Other research by McKinsey suggests that optimizing span of control “requires an understanding of the complexity and the nature of the work done by both the manager and their direct reports”. Therefore, managers need to find the optimal span of control that suits their situation and context.

How is Span of Control Calculated?

Span of control is calculated by dividing the number of employees by the number of managers in a given level or department. For example, if a department has 20 employees and 4 managers, then the manager span of control is 20 / 4 = 5. This means that each manager has 5 direct reports on average.

However, span of control is not a fixed number that applies to every situation. It can vary depending on several factors that affect the nature and complexity of the work and the characteristics and preferences of the manager and the subordinates. Some factors that affect the span of control are:

• The capacity of the manager: The manager’s skills, experience, knowledge, and personality can determine how many subordinates they can effectively manage.
• The nature of work: The complexity, variability, interdependence, and urgency of the work can influence how much supervision and coordination are needed.
• The skills of the employees: The employees’ competence, motivation, performance, and autonomy can affect how much guidance and support they require from the manager.
• The method of communication: The availability, frequency, quality, and mode of communication between the manager and the subordinates can impact how well they can exchange information and feedback.
• The level of planning and organizing: The degree of clarity, consistency, and alignment of the goals, roles, policies, and procedures can influence how smoothly the work can be executed and monitored.
• The supervision from others: The presence or absence of other sources of supervision such as peers, mentors, or external stakeholders can affect how much oversight is needed from the manager.
• The use of other resources and assistance: The availability and accessibility of other resources and assistance such as technology, tools, training, or consultants can affect how efficiently and effectively the work can be done.

How to Find the Optimal Span

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to what is the optimal span of control for a manager. It depends on the specific context and circumstances of each case. However, there are some general guidelines that can help a manager find the optimal span of control for their situation:

• Assess the factors that affect the span of control: A manager should evaluate the factors that influence the span of control, such as the ones mentioned above, and identify the ones that are most relevant and important for their work.
• Consider the trade-offs and benefits of different spans of control: A manager should weigh the pros and cons of having a narrow or wide span of control, and how they align with their goals and objectives.
• Experiment and adjust: A manager should try out different spans of control and observe the results and feedback. They should also be flexible and willing to adapt and change their span of control as the situation evolves.

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The Five Managerial Archetypes

According to research by McKinsey, there are five managerial archetypes that describe different styles of managing a team with different spans of control. These are:

Player/Coach: A player/coach is a manager who has a narrow span of control (2-6 subordinates) and is also actively involved in doing the work themselves. They have a high level of expertise and experience in their field, and they provide hands-on guidance and mentoring to their subordinates. They are often found in highly specialized or technical roles, such as software engineers, consultants, or researchers.

• A real life example of a relevant job role that might apply to the Player/Coach archetype is a software engineer who also leads a team of developers in a project. A software engineer is an individual contributor who designs, codes, tests, and maintains software applications or systems. A software engineer who also leads a team of developers is a player-coach who has additional responsibilities such as planning, coordinating, mentoring, and reviewing the work of the team members.

  A description of how the Player/Coach archetype works in practice for this role is as follows:

  • The software engineer allocates some time for their own coding tasks, such as developing new features, fixing bugs, or improving performance. They also allocate some time for their coaching tasks, such as setting goals, assigning tasks, providing feedback, or resolving issues for the team members.
  • The software engineer communicates regularly with the team members, both individually and collectively, to monitor their progress, clarify their expectations, and address their challenges. They also communicate with other stakeholders, such as customers, managers, or peers, to align the project vision, scope, and deliverables.
  • The software engineer leverages their technical expertise and experience to guide and support the team members in their coding tasks. They also leverage their leadership skills and style to motivate and empower the team members in their learning and development.
  • The software engineer balances their own work quality and quantity with the team’s work quality and quantity. They also balance their own autonomy and accountability with the team’s autonomy and accountability.
  • The software engineer evaluates their own performance and potential as a coder and a coach. They also evaluate the team’s performance and potential as a group and as individuals.

Coach: A coach is a manager who has a moderate span of control (6-7 subordinates) and focuses on developing and empowering their subordinates. They have a high level of trust and confidence in their subordinates, and they provide feedback, coaching, and support to help them grow and improve. They are often found in roles that require creativity, innovation, or problem-solving, such as marketing, design, or engineering.

• • An example of a relevant job role that might apply to the Coach archetype is a human resources manager who also mentors a group of employees in a company. A human resources manager is a professional who oversees the recruitment, training, development, and retention of the company’s workforce. A human resources manager who also mentors a group of employees is a coach who has additional responsibilities such as providing career guidance, feedback, and support to the employees.

    A description of how the Coach archetype works in practice for this role is as follows:

    • The human resources manager allocates some time for their own human resources tasks, such as hiring new staff, conducting performance appraisals, or resolving employee issues. They also allocate some time for their coaching tasks, such as meeting with the employees, discussing their goals, or reviewing their progress.
    • The human resources manager communicates regularly with the employees, both individually and collectively, to understand their needs, expectations, and challenges. They also communicate with other stakeholders, such as managers, peers, or customers, to align the employees’ career development with the company’s strategy and culture.
    • The human resources manager leverages their human resources expertise and experience to advise and assist the employees in their career growth. They also leverage their coaching skills and style to inspire and empower the employees in their learning and development.
    • The human resources manager balances their own work quality and quantity with the employees’ work quality and quantity. They also balance their own autonomy and accountability with the employees’ autonomy and accountability.
    • The human resources manager evaluates their own performance and potential as a human resources manager and a coach. They also evaluate the employees’ performance and potential as professionals and individuals.

Supervisor: A supervisor is a manager who has a wide span of control (8-10 subordinates) and focuses on overseeing and controlling their subordinates. They have a high level of authority and responsibility in their role, and they provide direction, instruction, and evaluation to ensure that their subordinates follow the rules and standards. They are often found in roles that require compliance, quality, or efficiency, such as operations, finance, or customer service.

• • One eample of a relevant job role that might apply to the Supervisor archetype is a retail store supervisor who also manages a group of sales associates in a store. A retail store supervisor is a professional who oversees the daily operations, customer service, and merchandising of the store. A retail store supervisor who also manages a group of sales associates is a supervisor who has additional responsibilities such as assigning tasks, monitoring performance, resolving issues, and providing feedback to the sales associates.

    A description of how the Supervisor archetype works in practice for this role is as follows:

    • The retail store supervisor allocates some time for their own store management tasks, such as opening and closing the store, handling cash and inventory, or dealing with vendors and suppliers. They also allocate some time for their supervision tasks, such as scheduling shifts, distributing workloads, or enforcing policies and procedures for the sales associates.
    • The retail store supervisor communicates regularly with the sales associates, both individually and collectively, to ensure that they are meeting the sales goals, customer expectations, and store standards. They also communicate with other stakeholders, such as customers, managers, or peers, to report the store performance, address any complaints or concerns, or share any best practices or suggestions.
    • The retail store supervisor leverages their retail expertise and experience to train and coach the sales associates in their sales skills, product knowledge, and customer service. They also leverage their supervision skills and style to motivate and empower the sales associates in their work performance and career development.
    • The retail store supervisor balances their own work quality and quantity with the sales associates’ work quality and quantity. They also balance their own autonomy and accountability with the sales associates’ autonomy and accountability.
    • The retail store supervisor evaluates their own performance and potential as a store manager and a supervisor. They also evaluate the sales associates’ performance and potential as sales professionals and individuals.

Facilitator: A facilitator is a manager who has a wide span of control (11-15 subordinates) and oversees a team of highly skilled, motivated, and independent subordinates. A facilitator’s role is to provide the necessary resources, tools, and support for the subordinates to perform their tasks effectively and efficiently. A facilitator does not micromanage or interfere with the subordinates’ work, but rather encourages them to collaborate, innovate, and solve problems on their own. A facilitator is suitable for a dynamic, creative, and complex environment where the subordinates have a high degree of autonomy and responsibility.

• • One possible real life description of a relevant job role that might apply to the Facilitator archetype is an accounts receivable and payable manager who also oversees a group of accountants in a large finance organization. An accounts receivable and payable manager is a professional who manages the cash inflows and outflows of the organization, such as invoicing customers, paying vendors, or reconciling accounts. An accounts receivable and payable manager who also oversees a group of accountants is a facilitator who has additional responsibilities such as providing the resources, tools, and support for the accountants to perform their tasks effectively and efficiently.

    A description of how the Facilitator archetype works in practice for this role is as follows:

    • The accounts receivable and payable manager communicates regularly with the accountants, both individually and collectively, to ensure that they are following the established process, meeting the quality and deadline standards, and addressing any issues or queries. They also communicate with other stakeholders, such as customers, vendors, or managers, to align the cash flow management with the organizational needs, expectations, and feedback.
    • The accounts receivable and payable manager leverages their accounting expertise and experience to guide and support the accountants in their accounting tasks. They also leverage their facilitation skills and style to encourage them to collaborate, innovate, and solve problems on their own.  

• Coordinator: A coordinator is a manager who has a wide span of control (>15 subordinates) and oversees a team of moderately skilled, motivated, and independent subordinates. A coordinator’s role is to organize, schedule, and monitor the work of the subordinates to ensure that they meet the quality, quantity, and deadline standards. A coordinator does not directly supervise or instruct the subordinates’ work, but rather coordinates their activities, assignments, and outputs. A coordinator is suitable for a stable, routine, and standardized environment where the subordinates have a moderate degree of autonomy and responsibility.

  • One possible real life description of a relevant job role that might apply to the Coordinator archetype is a call center manager who also organizes, schedules, and monitors the work of a group of customer service agents in a call center. A call center manager is a professional who oversees the daily operations, customer service, and quality control of the call center. A call center manager who also organizes, schedules, and monitors the work of a group of customer service agents is a coordinator who has additional responsibilities such as assigning tasks, distributing workloads, or enforcing policies and procedures for the customer service agents.

    A description of how the Coordinator archetype works in practice for this role is as follows:

    • The call center manager allocates some time for their own call center management tasks, such as handling escalation calls, resolving customer complaints, or reporting call center performance. They also allocate some time for their coordination tasks, such as planning the shift rosters, scheduling the breaks, or reviewing the call logs.
    • The call center manager communicates regularly with the customer service agents, both individually and collectively, to ensure that they are meeting the call volume, customer satisfaction, and quality standards. They also communicate with other stakeholders, such as customers, managers, or peers, to align the call center service with the organizational needs, expectations, and feedback.

How to take advantage of the managerial archetypes

By better understanding the managerial archetypes in the organization, you can set specific guardrails for each managerial cohort. Using rigorous analytics and evidence, targeted actions can be taken to either streamline or increase the spans of control for each group. This can help you optimize the organizational structure and design, and improve the performance and health of your company.

Here are some steps you can follow to use managerial archetypes to drive efficiency and effectiveness:

• Assess the current state of your organization. You can use a tool such as Functionly to map out your current state and visualize and assess your managerial spans of control. You can also use a survey or an interview to collect data on the current spans of control, roles and responsibilities, work complexity and interdependence, and managerial capabilities of your managers and their direct reports.
• Identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can use the data from the previous step to compare your current state with your desired state, based on your strategy, goals, and context. You can also use the five managerial archetypes as a reference point to evaluate how well your managers fit their roles and tasks. You can then identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement, such as reducing or increasing the spans of control, clarifying or redefining the roles and responsibilities, simplifying or enhancing the work complexity and interdependence, and developing or leveraging the managerial capabilities.
• Design and implement the interventions to address the gaps and opportunities. You can use a variety of interventions to address the gaps and opportunities, such as restructuring or redesigning the organization, reallocating or redeploying the resources, streamlining or standardizing the processes, automating or outsourcing the tasks, training or coaching the managers and their direct reports, and rewarding or recognizing the performance and behavior. You should also communicate and engage with your stakeholders throughout the process, to ensure alignment, commitment, and feedback.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of the interventions. You can use a set of metrics and indicators to monitor and evaluate the impact of the interventions on your organization’s efficiency and effectiveness. You should also collect feedback from your managers and their direct reports, to understand their experiences, challenges, and suggestions. You should then use this information to adjust and refine your interventions as needed.

By using these steps, you can use managerial archetypes to drive efficiency and effectiveness in your organization. You can also benefit from some of the advantages of using managerial archetypes, such as:

• Increasing productivity and speed. By rightsizing your managerial spans of control, you can reduce unnecessary layers, overheads, and bottlenecks in your organization. You can also increase communication, coordination, and decision-making among your managers and their direct reports. This can help you improve your operational efficiency and agility.
• Enhancing quality and innovation. By matching your managers’ roles and tasks with their skills and styles, you can optimize their performance and potential. You can also empower your managers and their direct reports to take ownership and accountability for their work. This can help you improve your service delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Boosting engagement and retention. By aligning your managers’ roles and tasks with their motivations and preferences, you can increase their satisfaction and fulfillment. You can also provide them with opportunities for learning
  
  

Interactive chart: Functionly can be used to map your organization and visualize current span of control.

 

Span of control is an important factor that affects how managers lead their teams effectively. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to what is the optimal span of control for every situation. Managers need to consider various factors such as the capacity of the manager, the nature of work, the skills of the employees and development, recognition and reward, and feedback and coaching. This can help you improve your employee engagement and retention.

These are some of the ways you can use managerial archetypes to drive efficiency and effectiveness in your organization. By applying the concept of managerial archetypes, you can create a more optimal and healthy organizational structure and design that suits your situation and context. You can also leverage the strengths and diversity of your managers and their direct reports, and enable them to perform better and grow faster.

In conclusion, span of control is important because it influences various aspects of organizational structure and design, such as communication, delegation, workload, satisfaction, performance, and efficiency. Managers need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different spans of control and adjust them according to their needs and goals.