A growth–mind-set economy demands speed and distributed, near-the-work decision making. It demands adaptation. A flatter structure satisfies the need for increased speed by removing delays and lifting very smart workers out of the bureaucratic despair of endless meetings.
This does not mean all standards are thrown out the window: a bright frontline staff still needs overall values-based guidance (aligned with a purpose and driven by vision), fenceposts (guiding principles), a broad behavioral compass (expectations for critical behaviors), instructive lessons (that inform and teach visible actions), and an easy-to-navigate process (systems thinking) so that small mistakes can be encouraged, caught early, and corrected while there is still time and money to recover.
